Rainy Day Stories
by rosegirl220
Summary: It's raining in the truffula tree valley, and the Lorax makes the Once-ler shelter him and the animals in his tent. And, to add insult to injury, also makes the lanky man tell stories from his childhood to pass the time. Rated T just because.
1. Story 1 Rough beginnings

As rain poured down hard and heavy upon the Truffula forest; the Once-ler, who was staring out one of the windows in his tent into the storm raging outside, realized his trip daily to town would be canceled for today.

"Well this is great." The Once-ler grumbled sarcastically. "And what timing, too! The Thneed was just about to have his big break with the people!" of course...that might have not been entirely true.

For the past two days he had been going into the nearby town of Greenville, and tried selling his Thneed to it's good people. Although, they didn't exactly take to his marvelous invention as well as he hoped. In fact...they threw tomatoes at him – yelling all kinds of terrible names, and screeching at him to leave. Even this little girl had taken his guitar from his hands, and snapped the neck of it in half – taking the severed piece with her. Despite the trials; the Once-ler honesty believed that his invention popularity was about to spread like wildfire throughout the people of Greenville, and then the world. You know...eventually.

"I guess this storm isn't going anywhere soon." the Once-ler admitted with a sad sigh. "Might as well go back to bed. Not like I can play my guitar or anything." the Once-ler then groans, and closes the curtains. At times like this; he really missed having his guitar with him. Or...the whole thing, in this situation. He then slumps back to his bed, (he still was wearing his blue bunny pajamas, because he had woken up moments ago to the storm) and slides under the sheets before snuggling down into the mattress. "Well...I guess I do need a little extra sleep. I'll have to be well-rested to make up for me missing today." this causes a smile to form on the Once-ler's lips, and his eyes flutter shut. He then sigh in contentment, and start to drift off into slumber.

That is, until...

"Beanpole! You need to come to the door!" a familiar voice, accompanied by loud knocking, calls from outside the tents door. The Once-ler's eyes fly open, and, once he realizes who's outside, groans. Outside, yelling for the Once-ler, was the orange furred, yellow mustached, slightly annoying, guardian of the forest...The Lorax.

"Just ignore him." the Once-ler told himself – covering his ears with his pillow. "He'll hopefully go away soon." so, the Once-ler just stayed quiet, and, thankfully, all that could be heard was the loud splats of rain hitting the tents roof. He smiles in victory, and slowly got back to his previous position. Of course, as soon as the Once-ler's eyes were shut, the stupid peanut started up again.

"I know you can hear me in there, beanpole!" the Lorax continued. "We're keeping the rain out of your silly tent by not using the windows, but, if you refuse to come to the door, consider your tent flooded!" the Once-ler cringes slightly at this. The thought of his bed being in water again really scared him – especially since what has happened to him before with the whole waterfall thing.

"Alright, alright!" the Once-ler groans, sitting up. "I'll be there in a minute!" the lanky man then hauls himself out of the warm comfort of his bed to the cold floor below. With a slight shudder, he then slowly makes his way across the room to the door. He then opens it to reveal, not only the Lorax, but other forest creatures with him as well. There were the Swomee-Swans, the Bar-ba-loot bears, and even his pet mule, Melvin. The Once-ler's eyes widen at the sight, and he subconsciously took a small step back. "Uh...what...what are you guys doing here?" he asked with a touch of fear in his voice.

"Calm down, beanpole." the Lorax says with a eye roll. "We aren't here to cause any trouble to ya. I, well...we, were just wondering if possibly...we could...you know...stay in your tent for awhile. Just till the storm dies down?"

The Once-ler blinked in surprise before exclaiming; "Wait...what? No!"

"Oh, come on beanpole!" the Lorax pleads. "The valley's are already flooding, and the animals can't just stay out there! They would drown! Well...except for the Humming fish, but that isn't the point here! We need help!" The Once-ler then stares blankly before sighing sadly. The Lorax had a point, but...the tent was his only escape he had here from the outside world! And the Lorax wanted to just bring a bunch of intruders in there! No way! Then again...they did need shelter...

"Look, Lorax..." the Once-ler began slowly. A sudden tugging on his pants leg the stops him. He then looks down, and sees the smallest Bar-ba-loot bear, Pipsqueak, looking up at him. His brown eyes were as wide as saucers, and there was a certain pleading look in them. The Once-ler's heart instantly melted, and...he knew he couldn't turn down this little guy. "Okay, you can come in, but just until-" before he could even finish; all the animals, plus the Lorax, rushed (except for Melvin who is slowly walking) into the tent and settled in. The Bar-ba-loots were laid out in various shelves, the Swomee-Swan were in anything with a dip as if imitating a nest, the Lorax was laying on his bed with Pipsqueak curled up by his side, and Melvin was simply laying on the floor in front of the Once-ler's bed. "...the rain stops."

"Yeah, yeah, we know beanpole." the Lorax says in a slightly annoyed tone. "As soon as the rain stops; we're out of here." the Once-ler then sighed heavily, and rubs his now throbbing temples.

"Well...glad to see you all have made yourselfs at home at least." the Once-ler grumbles under his breath sarcastically. "Wouldn't want you guys to be uncomfortable." He then walks back over to his bed, and pushes the Lorax over a bit before getting back under the covers. "I'm going to sleep. Just...please...don't break to much, okay?" the long-limned man then lets out a yawn, and lays his head on his pillow. Silence then filled the tent. The hypnotic-like patter of the rain mixed with the calm breathing of all the animals seemed to create a relaxing environment. Once-ler and the other animals were just about asleep when, suddenly, a huge crack of thunder erupts through the silent valley. The Once-ler normally didn't wake up at these, but, because of the loud screams from the animals, he shot straight up. Every animal except the Lorax and Melvin was in a terrified frenzy; looking in all directions with nervous expressions and cry's of surprise.

"Okay, okay everyone! Calm down!" the Lorax speaks up; surprisingly getting all the frantic animals attention. "It was just a little thunder! Now, please, let's all relax!" the animals just looked at him for a moment, but then slowly relaxed themselves – gradually all going back to sleep. The Lorax then turns to the Once-ler. "Sorry about that beanpole. All the animals here are deathly scared of thunder. They go nuts when it happens, but, thankfully, storms don't hit here often."

"Good to hear..." the Once-ler mumbles. He then looks over, and sees that poor little Pipsqueak, who didn't go back to sleep with the other, is shaking in terror like a leaf. Once-ler then absentmindedly reaches over, and brings Pipsqueak into his lap before scratching behind his ears in an attempt to calm him down. "There, there little guy. It's gonna be alright." the Once-ler cooes both soothingly and reassuringly. Pipsqueak then makes an almost purr-like sound of enjoyment, and starts to relax. Meanwhile, out of the corner of his eye, the Once-ler sees the Lorax looking at them with a almost proud look; like a father seeing his bickering children finally getting along. Of course, before the Once-ler can say anything, another loud crack of thunder erupts from outside. The animals – including Pipsqueak – then snap form their calm stat, and start to freak out again. This makes the Lorax groan.

"Guys, take it easy! It's only thunder!" the Lorax reminds them sternly but with understanding. "There's nothing to worry about!" Of course, this time, the animals didn't exactly calm down like they did before. They lowered their loud screams of terror to soft murmurs of fear, and, in The Once-ler's lap, Pipsqueak started to shiver once again.

"Whoa...they're really scared of thunder." the Once-ler observes with sympathy – going back to scratching behind little Pipsqueaks fuzzy ears.

"Yeah...they've always been." the Lorax explains with a sigh. "Poor things just lose it when thunder starts up. So, I guess there really is only one thing to do." the Lorax then turns to the Once-ler, and gives him a semi-teasing smile. "Looks like it's story time, beanpole!" the Once-ler raised an eyebrow in confusion, but the other animals seemed to give a gasp of happy surprise.

"Wait...you mean...me? Tell a story?" the Once-ler asks as Pipsqueak bounces in anticipation in his lap. The Lorax nods, and the Once-ler blinks in surprise. "But...why? And, whatever the reason, I'm sure you have better stories to tell than me anyway."

"As true as that may be," the Lorax begins in a flattered tone. "The animals will only calm down during a thunder storm if their occupied with a story. Besides, they've already heard mine and their own stories many times already. So, in a way, your the only one who would be able to tell a story that would keep them occupied." the Once-ler blinked again. The Lorax was seriously asking him to tell a story so the animals would calm down? That mustached peanut is insane! Of course, the Once-ler for some reason looks down only to see Pipsqueak looking up at him - his brown eyes shining with excitement. His heart melts twice, and he sighs in defeat.

"Fine. I'll tell a story." the Once-ler announces with a slight groan. The animals then came from where they were at, and, in an instant, were crowded around the Once-ler's bed. Some of the Swomee-Swans and Bar-ba-loot bears even sat on Melvin (who was just laying there with the same bored expression he always had) so they could have a good seat for the story.

"Alright beanpole, start when your ready." the Lorax says – moving to the end of the bed, and sitting to hear the lanky mans story with the others.

"Okay, let's see..." the Once-ler said more to himself than to the waiting group; trying to remember a good enough story to keep the animals entertained. He hadn't really gotten told that many stories as a kid, but, thankfully, he remembered a few he had over-heard his mom telling to his other two older brothers – Bret and Chet. After a moment to think, he decided to go with the classic tale of Rapunzel. "So, once upon a time, there was a-"

"Sorry beanpole, but I have to stop you right there." the Lorax say while standing up. The Once-ler rolled his eyes, and crossed his arms over Pipsqueak's head.

"Why? Don't the animals like fairy tales?" he asks with a teasing tone and smile.

"Nope." the Lorax says, causing the Once-ler's smile to fade into a unamused expression. "They would rather hear a story that is real, and could actually be seen happening. Surely you have a few stories like that, right?" the Once-ler's unamused expression then turns into a blank look. His life had been filled with...interesting events, but he didn't really wanna talk about them. And definitely not with the Lorax, and all his forest friends – even though he had come to a mutual understanding with them.

"I...I don't really have a story like that. Honest." Once-ler explains while looking away – nervously running a hand through his feathery black hair out of habit. The group then lets out a disappointed sound, and the Lorax raises an eyebrow in suspicion.

"I doubt that, beanpole." the Lorax says, him crossing his arms this time. "Everyone has to have had something happen to them during their life that's interesting."

"Well I haven't so far, okay?" the Once-ler counters; getting a little more defensive.

The Lorax narrows his eyes, and, was about to say something, when a loud crash from the kitchen area was heard. They all looked over, and saw the largest Bar-ba-loot bear on the counter surrounded by a bunch of fallen pots – paw outstretched for a nearby jumbo bag of marshmallow's. He freezes, and gets an expression similar to that of a kid who was caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Of course, he somehow loses his footing, and falls to the pots below. The large Bar-ba-loot lands with a thud, and the pots were sent flying everywhere. Some didn't go far, but one is sent straight to Once-ler's side table. It then hits the barely poking out edge of a photo album laid beneath a mountain of other stuff, and somehow flips it onto the bed – it opening to a random page. The big Bar-ba-loot bear gives a thumbs-up of okay, and the others sigh in relief. Of course, the Once-ler, after he knew the bear was okay, was concerned with his kitchen – his _just_ cleaned kitchen – being a mess again.

"Oh man...and I just cleaned the kitchen to!" the Once-ler groans in frustration – not noticing the book that had been flipped onto the bed. Of course, the Lorax did, and, out if curiosity, picked it up. When he looked on the page, he saw a picture of...of...

"Hey beanpole, is this you?" the Lorax asked – flipping the book around, and pointing to said picture. "And who's the other guy, anyway?" The Once-ler looks at what he's talking about, and gets wide eyed.

In the picture was a little rave haired boy with sky blue eyes wearing a gray fedora that was way to big for his head, and came to the beginning of his fore-head. He had a more put-together version of the guitar the Once-ler had now in his lap, and the photo showed the boy running his fingers across it. Also in the picture, it showed the boy sitting on an older mans lap. The man was actually an older looking model of the boy once you looked at the two. His raven hair was combed nicely down while the boys was all messy. The older mans eyes were blue-gray, and had nicely kept stubble on his chin. Even though he was sitting down; anyone could tell the man had an impressively high height. His frame was rather lanky, but the round, child like innocent look of his face made up for it. The olders hand was show over the youngers hand – as if guiding it across the strings. The smaller had a look of pure joy, and the older just looked happy the other was enjoying himself so much.

"Where...where did you get that?" the Once-ler shrieked in surprise.

"It was just on the bed." the Lorax explains, gesturing to the place the book had landed.

"W-well give it back! It's mine!" the Once-ler demands, making a grab for the book. Of course, the Lorax takes it just out of his reach, and holds onto it a bit tighter.

"Not until you answer my question beanpole." the Lorax states as if it's common knowledge.

The Once-ler stays in the position for a bit, but then sighs. "Fine, I'll answer. Yes, that is me as a little kid in the picture. And...the man with me is...is.." the Once-ler then mumbled something to soft to hear, and the Lorax raises an eyebrow out of confusion.

"Uh, say again?" the Lorax asked. The Once-ler sighs, and looks away.

"I said...the man with me is...is..." the Once-ler then shut his eyes, and uttered two words he never wanted to speak out loud again. "...my father." silence then filled the room. All that could be heard was the patter of rain, and the sound of approaching thunder in the distance. The Once-ler then feels something walking up the mattress toward him, and, when he opens his eyes, he sees the Lorax place the photo album by his side.

"Sorry for taking your...uh...picture thing, beanpole." the Lorax says a bit awkwardly.

"It's no big deal..." the Once-ler lies. The pictures in the album was sacred to him, and he didn't exactly like other people just taking the whole thing. Of course, the Lorax wouldn't really understand this, and the Once-ler didn't feel like even trying to explain it.

"So...you and your dad seemed pretty close." the Lorax observes.

The Once-ler blinks in surprise for about the tenth time today, and smiles slightly. "Yeah. We always did a bunch of stuff together. Camping, making new inventions, playing guitar, you name it!"

"Sounds like a fun time." the Lorax says; his guilt for having the Once-ler bring up his father vanishing. But, in the distance, the Lorax could hear thunder coming closer and closer by the minute. Thankfully none of the other animals heard it, they'd be in a frenzy if they did, but he knew it was only a matter of time before more thunder arrived. Suddenly, the Lorax got an idea. "So...why don't you tell one of the things you and your dad did together, beanpole? You said yourself you had some pretty fun times with him if I'm not mistaken." the Once-ler then stiffens. He had good times with his dad, true, but...he just...just didn't wanna talk about it. Not now, not ever! Of course, once he heard the coming thunder in the distance, he knew it was a no option thing. It was either tell about his father, or have the animals tear up his tent. He'd rather tell the story.

"Well...the time I remember most was when me and him went camping in the back yard of our Uncles farm one summer night." the Once-ler begins; a smile forming on his lips. He then look up to the ceiling, and start to remember the events of that wonderful night. "We did everything people who usually went camping did. Set up a tent, made a fire, the whole nine yards. In fact, I remember that was the night he introduced me to marshmallow's for the first time..."

~o~o~o~

"Here son, have a bite of this. Their called marshmallow's." the Once-ler's father says with a smile; offering his tiny five year old child the square white treat. The young Once-ler looks at the treat with a blank expression, and slowly takes the fluffy square from his fathers hand.

"But...what does it taste like?" young Once-ler asks, eying the marshmallow skeptically.

His father smiles a bit wryly before responding; "Hm...I don't quite remember. Your just gonna have to try it for yourself, and see." the young Once-ler frowns. He didn't exactly mind trying new things, but...the white treat in his hand just looked...odd to him. "Come on son, try it. I'm positive if you do you'll like it." Once-ler gives his father a trusting look, and decided to try the snack his father had gave him. He then cautiously lifted the marshmallow to his mouth, and slowly took a bite out of it's side. "So?" Once-ler's father asks, raising an eyebrow. The young Once-ler's blue eyes widened, and a huge smile come across his pail face.

"Yummy!" young Once-ler squeals in delight.

"I knew you'd like it." his father laughs a bit. "Now, since you tried one raw, you need to try it roasted."

"Roasted?" young Once-ler asked; sounding out the unfamiliar word.

"Yeah, roasting a marshmallow is basically cooking it but over the fire. Plus, it makes marshmallow's taste ten times better." his father explains with a reassuring smile. "Come on, I'll even teach you how." this made the small boy smile. He loved doing things with his father, and...he was glad he actually wanted to spend time with him as well. His father then puts the marshmallow's on these two long, thin twigs he seemed to just have, and positioned his just barely over the fires flame. (his arms were actually about two times as long as the twigs he was using) "And now you just have to wait until it turns golden brown."

"But...won't it catch on fire?" young Once-ler asked in concern.

His father smiles for what seemed to be the fifteenth time that evening before saying; "Sometimes they do, but if you just keep the marshmallow out of the fires reach, it won't burn it. Promise." the young Once-ler's concern fades, and he mirror his fathers smile. He then turns his attention back to the stick in his hand, and tries to get it exactly as his father had it. He stretches his arms out as far as he could, (they were much shorter than his fathers) and puts it over the flame.

"Like this?" young Once-ler asked; wanting to be sure he was doing it right.

"Perfect." his dad says; his smile never leaving his face. Young Once-ler beamed with pride, and he turned to the stick to make sure he didn't let it get to close the the flame. The two then spent the next few minutes in beautiful silence; calmly watching their roasting marshmallow's slowly turns from white to a brow-like color. Of course, the sound of approaching footsteps breaks the silence.

"You two are still out here?" a familiar voice asks with annoyance. "I thought you said you were coming in for dinner." Young Once-ler then looks up, and sees his mother standing there with her hands on her hips – the fire illuminating the disapproving expression on her face. Of course, even though he knew he was in trouble when his mom made that face, young Once-ler wasn't fazed by her expression. In fact, he was eager to tell him mother about the new thing his father taught him how to do.

"Sorry mom, but me and dad were roasting marshmallow's!" young Once-ler explains proudly. "There looking really good!" His mother raised an eyebrow, and looked down in young Once-ler with her disapproving expression still engraved on her face.

"Oncie, why are you even eating that junk?" his mother asked, causing young Once-ler's smile to slowly fade. "Their just pieces of useless sugar. You need to eat things that will actually put meat on those skinny bones of yours! How do you expect to become anything if your waist is as thick as those sticks your using?"

"I fail to see your point." his father speaks up in a defensive tone. The young boy then looks to see that his father looking at his mother - his usually happy smile is now replaced be a look that was challenge whoever he was speaking to for dominance. "Once-ler is just fine the way he is. So what is he's on the skinny side? Tons of people are now a days. And, for god sakes Lauren, he's only five! He should have to have all these high expectations set up for him already! Let him be a kid once in awhile!" young Once-ler silently gasps. He had never heard his father's voice filled with so much frustration mixed with anger before, and...it was scaring him a little.

"Well, Mr. Let him be a kid, I actually care about Oncie's future!" His mother counters.

"Oh, and I don't?" his father replies before his mom could continue, sounding flabbergasted. "How dare you imply I don't care about my son! Why, I bet you don't even know what his favorite color is!" this, of course, only made the Once-ler's mom more flustered with anger.

The two then continued arguing for a good five minutes until the Once-ler's mother gave up, and went back into the house; saying to not come crying to her when they both got colds from being outside in the cold weather. (even though the summer night was actually pretty warm) After she had went back into the house, the Once-ler's father then turned back to the fire, and stared into it with a hard expression that was so unlike him to have. Or...used to be unlike him. Now a days, the expression was worn almost constantly when the Once-ler's mom and dad argued – which, again, seemed to get more and more frequent. The Once-ler partly wanted to go apologize to his mom for not coming to dinner, but...he had something on his mind only his father could answer for him.

"...dad?" young Once-ler speaks up timidly. His father stares into the fire a moment more before sighing heavily, and looking to his worried son.

"Yes son?" his father asks, softening his expression for the young child.

Young Once-ler then looked his father in the eyes, and asked; "Am...am I the reason you and mommy fight so much?" Once-ler's father then feels his heart drop. He never liked fighting with his wife in front of his kids, (especially his youngest one) but...sometime...things slipped out. And, of course, the kids blaming it on themselves is like throwing salt in a fresh cut to him.

"Son...why would you ask a thing like that?" his father asks in the up-most concern.

"Because...because when you guys start to talk about me...you always seem to end up fighting." the young raven-haired boy explained; his eyes misting with tears. "Plus...ever since Bret and Chet left to travel with Uncle Ubb and Aunt Grizelda for the summer...you two seem to be arguing a lot." the Once-ler's fathers heart just kept dropping. Even though they were older then Oncie, his dad was almost certain he was smarter then the both of his brothers combined. Despite this, he was always seemed to be compared to them by his mother. In height, bulk, and all sorts of other things. And, sadly, it seemed his brains went completely unnoticed by her. And, what was worst of all, she acted as if Once-ler was another parents child come to visit! He never understood why, but she just had no feeling of affection (which she somehow had for her two other sons, oddly enough) toward Once-ler. This, of course, caused the Once-ler's father to jump on her for treating one of her own sons with so little respect. He tried to be as passive-aggressive as he could, but...like before; sometime things slipped out.

"No, your not the reason we sometimes...disagree. People just don't always see eye to eye. Son, don't ever think that way, because I promise it isn't true." the Once-ler's father commands with a certain touch of sympathy and understanding only a caring father could create.

"But...but why does mom only care about Bret and Chet?" young Once-ler asks; a tiny trail of tears starting to roll down his cheeks. "I mean...they're not her only sons! I'm here! I do everything I'm supposed to! Why does she always make me feel like...I'm...some sort of mistake?" and just when the Once-ler's father thought his heart finally hit bottom; someone handed him a shovel. His own son just admitted to feeling like a mistake! Kids should _never _have to feel that way! Young Once-ler cast his tear-ridden eyes to the ground, and his father moves a little closer to him.

"Son, look at me." the Once-ler's father commands with the same tone he used before. Young Once-ler kept his eyes on the ground for a moment or two, but, finally, looks up at his father with his now puffy from crying blue eyes. His father then places a hand gently on his thin shoulder, and looked his son in the eyes. "Son, I'm not gonna lie...I've made a lot of mistakes in my life. A mistake is when you rush into things when it should have been better to wait and think on them. I've seemed to continually done this in my life. Some mistakes still haunt me, and others I have come to deal with. But you...you aren't one of them. Your the exact opposite of a mistake, Once-ler. Your the best thing that happened to me. Without you, I don't know where I'd be. And...I know, deep down, your mother feels the same way." the Once-ler's father then adds the word very over, probably, a thousand times in his head after he spoke the words deep down. "She just has to show it more to Bret and Chet because they aren't as imaginative and as smart as you." His words seem to console his son in a way because a smile slowly tugs it's way onto young Once-ler's face.

"Really?" the Once-ler asks in new found hope.

His dad smiles again before replying; "Of course. Once-ler...your a great kid. And, no matter what anyone tells you...your perfect just the way you are." this made the young Once-ler's smile grow. Even though the young boy had never been a fan of mushy things like his father told him...it felt nice to have someone care enough to actually say them.

"Thanks dad." Once-ler says, wiping the remaining tears on his cheeks. His father continues to smile, but, when he turns his head to the fire, he gets a shocked expression. Once-ler turns to what he's looking at, and sees that the marshmallow's they were roasting have cooked past the point of golden brown, and were now ink black. The the two then retracted their sticks only to see black blobs of what once used to be edible marshmallow's. The two then looked at each other, and, for no reason, started laughing.

"I think we need to replace the marshmallow's." his father states through his laughter. And, as his father reaches over to the jumbo bag of marshmallow's on the side of him to get two brand new marshmallow's, Oncie couldn't help but think that...this has to be the best time he spent with his father yet – despite all the drama.

Of course...it's probably only because...he know knew his father really did care for him.

~o~o~o~

"And that's what happened." the Once-ler concludes to the still attention-giving animals. He had to say; the Lorax was right about them having to be distracted by a story. The Once-ler noted that it had actually been thundering for a good two minutes outside, but all the animals were too focused on the story he was telling to notice.

"...well, that was really...interesting, beanpole." the Lorax comments; hiding the fact he was now fully interested in the lanky mans past.

The Lorax actually felt a new found sympathy toward the Once-ler, – he never knew his own mother treated him so poorly, after all – but still had that same sense of cautiousness about him. He had to make sure the skinny man kept his promise about not cutting down anymore trees. But, of course, that was for bright, sunny days when they could go outside. And, as of right now, it was dark, raining, and they were stuck inside. Besides, the Lorax was interested in hearing more of the Once-ler's past.

"Thanks." the Once-ler says a bit sarcastically; throwing in a playful eye roll for effect.

"So...did your dad, and you ever go camping again?" the Lorax asks. All the animals seemed to lean in curiously, and the Once-ler's smile from mere seconds ago vanishes. He actually hadn't thought about what happened next for so long, and...he couldn't believe he let it get this far. The Once-ler then slowly turned his gaze to his beds sheets, and stared at them distantly.

"No, actually, we didn't." the Once-ler says quietly; catching the group off guard. "That was the last thing we ever did together." the animals then give each other looks of confusion mixed in with hints of worry. Even Pipsqueak, who still sat in the Once-ler's lap, was looking up at the raven haired man with concern.

"...why? What happened?" the Lorax asks; his voice full of curiosity and worry like the animals.

The Once-ler stared at the sheets a moment more before slowly shaking his head, and lifting his eyes from the sheets. "Ah...it's not important. Besides...you guys don't wanna hear my life story..."

"Eh, we have time." the Lorax shrugs. "And it's not like we can just go outside. The rain is still coming down pretty hard out there, and, besides the valleys take awhile to unflood." the animals all nod in agreement. The Once-ler looked blankly at them, and then sighs rather heavily.

"Okay...point taken." the Once-ler says in a defeated tone. He then looks at the ceiling again, and keeps his gaze there for a good three minutes before turning back to the patiently waiting group. "My father was an inventor, you see. He was always making new things, or trying his hardest to improve an old thing. I remember his inventions always being so...creative. Although, none of them ever took off. Apparently they were all too...misalliances for peoples liking, or something. Everyone – including my mom - told him he should give up, but he never did. So, the following two days after we went "camping", he locked himself in his lab. When he finally came out, it was in the middle of the night. Mom was at some social event at the time, so she didn't see it when I did. I remember him coming into my room, and telling me he had a breakthrough. He also said that I needed to see it right away. So, he took me to the living room, and he brings in this covered thing. He then says that he was introducing..."

~o~o~o~

"...the revolutionary, Portable Capsule!" his father announces; ripping off the sheet over his invention with one flick of his wrist. After he did so; a small silver, tube-like thing with a round top was revealed to the excitedly waiting Once-ler. The young boys excitement fades just a little, and...he looked over the machine in front of him – trying to decided what it was, and what it did.

"...um...dad...what is it?" the young boy finally asked after a moment of looking at the strange thing.

"Why, it's the end to all bag troubles, son." his father explains; sounding as if Once-ler was actually a corporate head who was considering endorsing his product. Young Once-ler tilted his head, and his father continues. "You see, two nights ago, I realized just how many bags we have around the house. Lunch boxes, back-packs, purses, and many others. That got me thinking; what is there could be something that allowed you to just have one bag instead of a thousand? So, I locked myself in my lab, and, after a couple of failed designs and models, the portable capsule was born!" the Once-ler's eyes then widen in awe. His father's inventions always were fascinating to him.

"Sounds interesting, dad!" the young Once-ler exclaims happily.

"Ah, but that's not all." his father goes on, smiling at the enthusiastic five year old. "You see, this machine is made to carry everything that could be carried with regular suit cases, back-packs, and others! It can be used to carry things from business papers to heavy school books! Plus, because of it's metal exterior; it's super resilient! Which means you no longer have to keep buying new bags to replace the ones that rip, or break! And, as a bonus, it's temperature adjustable inside; you can pack even ice cream in here with no fear of it melting! Also, it has many compartments, so just about everything you need can be stored spaciously inside." his father explains, opening a few of the Portable Capsule's many compartments. He then shuts them, and turns to his son. "So...what do you think?"

"Dad, this has to be your best invention yet!" young Once-ler yells out happily. "I bet everyone will want one of those!" his father then smiles at his son, and ruffles the young boys feathery black hair.

"I'm glad you think so." his father says, laughing slightly. "I just wish you were the target market..." the Once-ler's father then sigh sadly, and his smile vanishes. "Maybe...just maybe...this will be the one thing I've made they like." young Once-ler then frowns, and felt bad no one other then himself normally liked his fathers inventions. But he couldn't exactly change their opinion. All he could do was motivate his father to keep trying.

"...dad...they'd be crazy not to like this invention!" the young Once-ler say encouragingly. His father's frown morphs into a smile, and he laughs a bit heartily.

"Ah, thanks. You know; your too sweet, son." his father cooes slightly, ruffling the boys fluffy raven black hair. Once-ler giggles, and his father suddenly scoop up the young boy off the feet. "Now, come on, it's time for you to be back in bed. Your mom would ring my neck if she found out I had you up this late." the Once-ler then frowns at this. He never liked his parents fighting, and certainly didn't like that his father was actually _joking _about it. Of course, once his father saw this, he quickly decided to cheer the small boy up. He then playfully blows his sons stomach; making the Once-ler smile instantly. The boy then goes into a laughing fit, and his father then laughs slightly as well. After a moment of this; he then sets the young child down gently onto his feet. The two then both go off to bed their own beds to get some well deserved, and needed, sleep for the upcoming days.

~o~o~o~

"So, that next day, my dad hooked his horse up to a wagon, and left for town." the Once-ler explains; amazed the animals were still giving him their full attention for this long.

"Did he sell it?" the Lorax couldn't stop himself from asking.

The Once-ler runs his hand through his hair again before saying; "Well...not exactly. People apparently didn't have access baggage as my father had thought. Although, he went to town everyday for two weeks – saying that today would be the day. Of course, when it wasn't, he'd come home, shrug, and say all he could try again tomorrow. He did this daily, even in rain, and still had no success. That is...until someone finally came along when he was there, and bought his invention. And it wasn't an ordinary person either. No. It was apparently this under-cover big-wig from a corporation looking for new products to sell that were made by everyday people. The man who bought it was very impressed, and said he wanted my dad's invention is what the company was looking for. "

"That's great...isn't it, beanpole?" the Lorax felt the need to ask after noticing the Once-ler's expression had fallen from a smile to a frown.

"Well...I mean...of course it was." the Once-ler sighs. "My father looked happier then I had ever seen him before. My mother was definitely surprised, and I just kept telling him I knew he'd eventually sell it." the lanky man then took a brief pause; making all the animals eyes widen in anticipation. "Of course...the guy came from a very far away town. And, the only way to get there was by taking a whole year trip across hot deserts, through dark forests, and many other treacherous environments to get there. The idea of him leaving was unbearable to me, and I almost tried convincing him to stay. But...I didn't, because...his dream of people liking his product was finally coming true. And...who was I to take that away from him?" the Once-ler then paused again to wipe away fresh tears from his cheeks before continuing. "So, that next morning, he ate a big breakfast, packed another wagon to the brim with supplies, and hooked up his horse. Then it was time to say goodbye to him..."

~o~o~o~

"Well, that should be the last of it." the Once-ler's father announces; throwing the last sack of food onto the cart. "I'm now officially ready to set off on my great adventure." the tall man then suddenly felt a slight tugging at his pants leg. The Once-ler's father looks down to sees the misty eyes of his five year old child looking back at him.

"Your coming back...right dad?" young Once-ler asks, his voice sounding probably just as miserable as he felt. His father smiles sympathetically, and knees to eye level with his son.

"Of course." his father reassures him; being sure to make eye contact with the boy. He then quickly wipes a tear away from his sons cheek before continuing. "I'll only be gone four years. One to get there, two for business purposes, and one year to travel back. After that; I'll be here to stay. I promise. And I'm sure it will go so fast you won't even realize I have left." this makes the Once-ler smile meekly, and he sniffles a bit.

"Could...could I possibly come with you?" the Once-ler finally asked the question that had been waiting in his brain for some time; wanting nothing more but to hear a yes from his father. The raven haired man sighed heavily before looking at his son with an apologetic look.

"Son...your gonna be six in mere months." his father reminds him. "That means your starting first grade in mere months as well. You need school, and...you can't get it on the road. Plus, what if you make friends, and then have to leave them right away? I don't think that would be healthy for you...please try and understand..." young Once-ler wanted to argue his point about coming with him, but...he didn't really have one. His father made perfect sense, and Once-ler supposed four year couldn't possibly be that long...right?

"Okay...I understand." young Once-ler mumbles audibly, but sadly. His father's heart swells, and he quickly captures his son in a hug.

"I promise; four years will go by so fast you won't realize I'm gone." his father repeats for effect. The two then stay in a tight embrace until the Once-ler's father slowly let go of his son. "I have to get going Oncie. I'll be sure to write every two weeks, and...I want you to have this." his father then removes the guitar that had once been strapped to his back, and gently places it into the Once-ler's arms – making the small child's eyes widen.

"Dad...are you seriously giving this to me?" the young boy asked in total shock.

"Of course." his father smiles. "I have complete faith you'll take good care of it. Besides, how are you gonna learn to perfect the guitar if you don't have one to play?" he then smiles playfully, ruffles his sons hair one last time, and, with that, the tall man then gets up. He quickly checks over the wagons content, and heads to the front of it. Of course, the Once-ler's mother, who had been standing by the wagon for a few minutes now, was just shaking her head at her in-over-his-head husband.

"Why are you getting his hopes up like that?" she asks; not even bothering to lower her voice any. "You and I bother know this is probably just some scam, and your gonna wind up stranded somewhere. I mean...who would possibly buy one of your inventions?" the Once-ler, who had heard everything his mother had said despite his distance, gets wide eyed and this didn't go unnoticed by his father.

"I guess that it being a scam is always a possibility," the Once-ler's father began. "But I prefer on the positive side. Who knows? It may be a scam, it may not be a scam. I won't know unless I try though." the Once-ler's father then quickly wraps his long arms around his wife's skinny frame, and pulled into a tight hug. The Once-ler sees his father hissing something into his moms ear, but was to far away to hear it. Never the less; it made his mom get a blank expression. He then lets her go, and gives her a fast peck on the lips before hopping into the drivers seat of the wagon. "Well, I'm off! Oh, and, honey, give Uncle Ubb and Aunt Grizelda my apologizes for not being here for their return. I'm sure they will understand that I had more important things to do." he then whips the reigns, and the horse hooked up to the wagon takes off. The Once-ler and his mother then watch as the wagon speeds off the dusty trail, and goes out of sight - off into the wide and dangerous world ahead.

"...he was always the adventurous one, I suppose." the Once-ler's mom sighs heavily. She then turns to the Once-ler before saying; "Come on Oncie. Let's get things set up for when your brothers and aunt and uncle return home. I'm sure the news of your father going off to chase this...deluded dream of his will give their heads a good and fast spin."

"...okay." the Once-ler says a little distantly. He then quickly straps the guitar around his shoulder, and quickly makes sure it's secure before scurrying off to the house to help his mother.

~o~o~o~

"...beanpole?" The Lorax asks in concern. The Once-ler had let the last few words drop off, and was now looking over into the tents barren corner. A hollow look was on his face – like his body was there, but his brain was somewhere completely different. "What's the matter? What happened to your father? Did he make it back from that far away city?" the Once-ler then slowly takes hos eyes from the corner, and looks at the Lorax. His usually happy and dancing blue eyes now were filled to the brim with sadness and misery. Suddenly, the Lorax seems to get it all at once. "...he never came back...did he beanpole?" the question was pointless, and it's answer was pretty clear from the Once-ler's face. No. The Once-ler's father had indeed not come back.

The Once-ler then looks back tot he corner; remembering the remaining days of that summer his father left. Him sitting on the porch for hours on end. Just waiting..._hoping _that his father would, by some miracle, come riding back with his wagon – coming home to stay. Of course...it never happened. His father, although, sent letters every two weeks (on a couple of occasions, once a week) just he had promised. He had even sent him various packages throughout the years; containing marvelous stuff he had got along his journey he'd thought his son would like. And Oncie always did like them; he'd tell him so in his reply letter he spent almost all night writing so they would be worthy of his father reading. For awhile, everything was good, (or as good as it could be with the constant bullying form his brothers, and his mom not believing they were bullying him) but...nothing could prepare the young boy for what would happened next...

~o~o~o~

"I'm so sorry for your loss, Mrs. Once-ler."

That was the first thing the now eight year-old Once-ler heard when he opened the door to his home.

He had actually done a lot of growing up in the years his father had left. He had a certain growth spurt, and was now eye level with his brother when he had been quit a bit shorter than them two years ago. Of course, he still acted childish, and was often whimsical. But he knew a serious tone when he heard it, and the person defiantly was using one. The smile the raven haired boy had disappears, and his over-active imagination runs wild.

The thoughts of what the person could be talking about momentarily makes him frozen in shock, but, luckily, he forces himself to go into the living room. Once there; he saw his Aunt, Uncle, and mother (his brothers had gone off to play football with their friends as they always did after school) were in the living room with a man dressed in jeans, white undershirt, a brown fringe vest which had a yellow star with the word "Sheriff" written on it, and, on his head, a ten-gallon cowboy hat.

"...what's...what's going on?" the young boy somehow manege's to asks despite his suddenly dry throat. Everyone seems to direct their attention to him, and their already sad expressions get more miserable. As if someone had just told more bad news after a great tragedy.

"Oncie..." his mother tries to say, but winds up getting to choked up to speak.

"...Mom...what's wrong..?" the Once-ler asks; mot understanding why his mom was suddenly in tears. The man in the vest sighs heavily. He then slowly walked over to the child, and knelt in front of him so they were eye level with each other.

"...your the Once-ler, aren't you?" the strange man asks with sympathy in his voice. The Once-ler's throat seems to dry even more, and he gulps hard.

"Y-yes, I am." the Once-ler replies, trying his hardest to keep his voice steady. The sheriff then sighs heavily.

"Well...I have some...news." he tells the child with a sad tone. "About...your father." the Once-ler then gets wide eyed, and his heart beats faster.

"Really? Is...is...is he okay?" Once-ler asks frantically. The sheriff only frowns, and looks at him with an apologetic expression.

"Look...Once-ler...I'm sorry to have to tell you this...but...your father...your father was found in the wreckage of his cart last night. We suspect the many bandits in the area are the cause of this, but there was no telling how long it had been like that." the Once-ler's heart then stops for a whole second. His father was...found...in...in wreckage?

"But...but he's okay...right?" Once-ler asks; his voice going higher with each word. "R-right?" the sheriff only frowned sympathetically.

"No...he wasn't...with us when we got to him" the man says quietly. "I'm sorry this had to happen..." the Once-ler then felt his self control vanish, and his mind became a jumble of questions, emotions, and all sorts of other things. He feels as if his heart had broken into a million little pieces, and...and he just wished it was all a huge nightmare.

"No! You...you have to be lying to me!" the Once-ler exclaims. Normally he would be yelled at for out-bursts like this, but...taking the current situation into consideration, he was allowed to let out all of his emotions. "He can't just be...be..._dead! _This all has to be a sick joke! A sick, _sick_, joke! I...I refuse to believe this!" with that, the frantic boy then turns, and takes off toward the stair case. Through the many thoughts; Once-ler swears he hears his mother call out his name. But...he doesn't take notice. His mind is to frantic to think straight.

He then runs up the steps, and rushes into his room – which happened to be the attic as well, and he didn't actually mind living up there – before slamming the door shut. He then throws himself face-first on his bed, and starts crying into the mattress.

~o~o~o~

The Once-ler cried himself to sleep that night. It was hard for him to deal with the fact that his father was...was...really gone. A couple of days after he found out; a funeral in which the remains of his father would be buried was held. (it was closed-cagiest, thank god) The Once-ler had never felt so weak, small, or so...so...lost. As if he had physically lost track of the world around him. The small child was an emotional wreck for the longest time; unlike his family, who seemed to get all their grieving out of the way pretty quickly. Of course, even though he did technically deal with the fact his father had passed...at times like these when he remembered him...his heart felt as if it had a huge portion of it missing. The parts that had unconditionally loved his father...

"...hello? Forest creatures to beanpole." the Lorax says; waving his orange furred hand in front of the raven haired mans face. The Once-ler had just been staring off into the corner with his hollow expression, and, frankly, the guardian was concerned for him.

"...story time is over." the Once-ler announces; picking up Pipsqueak from his lap and putting the little teddy-bear like creature right beside him. He then turns to his side, lays his head back on the pillow, and pulls the covers up so they were shielding his face – which was already wet from tears. "Night." the animals all looked at each other, and then back at the lump under the sheets that was the Once-ler.

For the next few hours; all that could be heard was the rain hitting the roof, and the occasional sob of sadness heard from under the beds sheets.


	2. Story 2 Of mules and friends

It has been two hours since the Once-ler had told the story of his father to the animals.

The lanky man had fallen into a deep, and slightly saddened sleep. Of course; it wasn't a peaceful sleep. No. This sleep was filled with a terrible nightmare.

It had begun with his father was riding along in his wagon; humming a tune as he went. Then, out of no where, gunshot and yelling from a close distance was heard. His father's head snapped around, and, to his horror, saw these bandits coming up fast. They must have gotten word of his money-making invention, and wanted to have it for their own. But his father wouldn't allow this. The only way those thieves would take his invention was to pry it from his cold, dead hands.! The Once-ler's father then snaps the reigns, and his horse speeds off. Of course...his horse couldn't exactly run fast with the weight of the wagon on him. Soon, the bandits catch up to him, and shot his horse. The poor animal then falls limp to the ground, and the wagon suddenly gets flipped with the horse. It then turns three times before it finally stops. The Once-ler's father, who surprisingly survived, crawls out from the wagon's wreckage. But, when he looks up, he's met with a gun pointed directly at him. The person holding the gun says something, but his father can't register what it was. He then heard the gun load, and closes his eyes - knowing his life would soon end. The last thought the Once-ler's dad had before the boom of the gun sounded was; _"I'm sorry I'm not gonna come back, Oncie...I'm so sorry son.._"

The Once-ler's eyes then suddenly flung open. The blankets must have come down from over his face, because when he opened his eyes, instead of seeing the fabric of the sheets, saw the plain colored ceiling of his tent. Once-ler's breathing comes in labored gasps, and his forehead is laced with cold sweat. It took him a moment to process it, but...he then realized that a shrill scream was coming from his throat. The Once-ler the slowly stops the scream, and stared at the ceiling – his eyes still wide, and breathing still heavy. He then wondered if the Lorax and the other animals had heard his-

"...beanpole?" speak of the devil. "Beanpole, are you okay? You were screaming." The Once-ler then slowly turns his head to the side, and saw the Lorax looking over him.

"...yeah, I'm fine." the Once-ler says with a slight groan. He then sits up, and, also while doing this, wipes the accumulated sweat on his fore-head. "Just had a bad dream, that's-" the Once-ler then opens his eyes, and...sees all the animals were still in the positions they were in when he was telling the story. "...mustache...how long have they-"

"They were all worried about you." the Lorax explains; cutting the Once-ler off. "I tried to get them to go back to bed, but...they refused to move. Everyone wanted to make sure you were okay." the Once-ler felt his heart swell, and...honestly felt guilty about worrying the animals like that.

"...guys...that was sweet of you all." the Once-ler says; a smile forming on his lips. "But...I'm okay, I promise. It was only a bad dream." the animals get relieved expressions, and, the Once-ler noticed, even the Lorax's expression seems to lighten a bit. Before anything else was said; a loud crack of thunder erupted through the valley. The animals then let out a scared squeak, but seem to keep their fear contained. The Once-ler the realizes the Lorax will want him to tell another story, but...he just...didn't wanna remember anything else. Not know, anyway.

"...um...hey, kid," the Lorax began in a tone suggesting he didn't wanna ask the question he currently was.

Lorax...please don't make me tell another story." the Once-ler pleads a bit pathetically; cutting the Lorax's sentence short. "I just...don't feel up to it." the orange furred peanut-shaped guardian stares at him for a moment, but then slowly nods in understanding.

"Okay, I get it." the Lorax reassures him. "Well, since you you don't wanna tell a story...how about I tell one?" the animals all seem to let out a slight groan, and the Once-ler raises an eyebrow in confusion.

"...alright." the Once-ler says slowly. "What kind of story do you have in mind?" the Lora quickly gets a thinking look, and, after a moment, smile.

"Okay, so...how about I tell about the Truffula tree life-cycle?" the Lorax suggests casually. The animals let out a groan, but, still, the Lorax gets a smile. "Good! So, a Truffula tree first starts out as a mere seed, and, through many years of sunshine, clean air and water, and fertile soil, it becomes one of the many tall Truffula trees you see outside today! Now, the way a Truffula tree gets is color is-" by that point, the Lorax's words all become a big blur to the Once-ler. _No wonder the animals groaned when The Lorax offered to tell a story... _the lanky man thinks as he rests his chin in his hands. The story the peanut was telling was, frankly, painfully boring for the Once-ler, and, as the marshmallow loving man looked around the room, he saw the animals felt the same way he did. Even though the Lorax had only begin five minutes ago, already half of the animals were already blinking heavy, and the other half of them were asleep – snoring ever so slightly.

"...look, mustache," the Once-ler interrupts the Lorax; earning an annoyed look from said guardian. "Your story sounds very interesting, but...I'm feeling much better, and I wanna tell another story."

The Lorax blink in surprise before saying; "Oh...okay then. If you say so." the Lorax then moved back to his seat when the storied began, and beamed with relief and happiness at the Once-ler. "Take it away beanpole!" the animals – even the ones who were asleep – perked up instantly. The Once-ler silently sighed with relief, (the Lorax's story was boring him as well as the animals, after all) but then realized he had no idea what to tell the waiting animals. So, he quickly looked around, and, soon, met the gray eyes of Melvin; looking at him with a bland expression. Suddenly, the Once-ler gets a idea, and smiles.

"How about the story of when me and Melvin met?" the Once-ler suggests. This makes the Lorax raise an eye brow in confusion.

"...wait...you and Melvin actually have a history?"

"Yeah! We go way back, don't we Melv?" the Once-ler asks, looking at said mule. Melvin just blinked, and huffed tiredly before laying his head back down. "...well, we have known each other for awhile. _Anyway_, I had meet Melvin two summer after I got the news about...my dad." the Once-ler's hollow expression slowly creeps back onto his face, but he doesn't get disconnected like the first time. "It was an ordinary summer day. Uncle Ubb had taken me and my brothers the the farmers market with him while he was running our farms booth there, because mom and my aunt were having a girls day out, and she didn't exactly trust the three of us home alone. We actually had just gotten our allowance for the month that morning, and Uncle Ubb said we could...

~o~o~o~

"Buy any one thing you want here with your money. The only condition is to be back here in this exact spot in one hour." Ubb announces to his sisters kid. This causes Bret and Chet's eyes to light up in excitement, and both give hyper nods of agreement. And, of course, behind then, the Once-ler was quietly standing there; his gaze locked to the dusty ground.

Once-ler was know ten years old, and had, once again, ran into a growth spurt. The young child was now past his brothers height, and was actually almost eye level with his mother – who was honestly surprised he grew so much in two years. Of course, in his current standing position, he looked somehow...smaller than he really was. His head was hung in a ashamed way, and his dark bangs fell over his face in a way that hid the expression on his face.

But did anyone notice? No. No one ever really payed attention the Once-ler. Even when he tried acting like he used to...it only seemed to keep people further away from him. Of course...it wasn't anything new. The one who really payed attention to the Once-ler was...his father...

The overly-tall ten year old held back a sob, but, of course, no one took notice.

"We should buy somethin' nice for ma." Bret (possibly Chet. They both looked and sounded so much alike even their own mother had a hard time telling them apart) says, looking to his identical twin brother. "Maybe get 'er one of them fancy fox-skin things you put around yer neck."

"I reckon that be a mighty fine idea!" Chet replies smiling. The two then rush off to find the station where animal stoles were sold, and Uncle Ubb looks to the list he made.

"Okay, first I make sure everything in the booth is fresh, and then I have to-" Uncle Ubb was saying to himself than to anyone else, but stopped when he saw the slim, tall frame of Once-ler still standing where Bret and Chet had just been. Ubb got a concerned look, and craned his head to try and see the boys expression but to no avail.

"...um...everything okay Once-ler?" Ubb asked awkwardly. The Once-ler didn't respond for a moment, but then slowly looks up to reveal miserable-looking sky blue eyes with a red rim around them from crying. The rims around his eyes always seemed to be there ever since the day the sheriff gave them the news, and were seeming to become a permanent feature on his otherwise flaw-less pail face.

"Yeah...everything is fine." the Once-ler says in a voice that makes consider he possibly gets beaten regularly – which, to Ubb's knowledge, he wasn't. The shorter of the two's worried expression got worse, and he knew he should do something. But...what could he possibly do? Ubb had never been the cheering others up type, and, besides, he could barely handle emotional drama of his own – let alone consul a child who is still trying to deal with the lose of his father.

"Um...well..I hear someone is selling guitar strings somewhere around here." Ubb says as casually can; his tone mirroring the awkwardness he felt talking to the Once-ler. "I hear their cheap, so you could get a whole bunch of them. You know...for that guitar you have?" the Once-ler then stares at his uncle blankly. He had actually never even touched his guitar since two years back, and...he had actually thought about selling it. Of course, he'd never have the heart to do it.

The guitar _was_, and _always _will be his father, and...he didn't want a stranger to have it. It was a sentimental thing, and...well, it was the sort of thing only the person who had the attachment to the object could understand. And he almost knew his family wouldn't get it. They just didn't get him in general...

"Yeah...I might as well take a look around for them." the Once-ler mumbles – knowing Ubb was waiting for an opportunity to slip away. His Uncle gets a relieved looking smile, and heads off to the booth.

"Just be here in an hour, alright?" Ubb calls out; not bothering to wait for a response before walking totally out of the boys sight. The Once-ler stands there for a moment, but then sigh heavily. The young boy then quickly straightens his gray fedora – his father had given it to him when he was very young, and he had grown very accustomed to wearing it – and then starts to walk down one of the rows of many booths that were selling freshly-grown food and other farming-based things.

_Why am I even here?_ the Once-ler wonders silently to himself. _I mean...it's not like my family actually cares if I'm here or not. _The Once-ler then let out a sad sigh, and walks aimlessly around the market – his mind reveling in his own pity. Eventually, he was so deep into thought, he started to walk in a dream-like daze – not exactly sure of where he was, or where he was going. His gaze was town-turned to the dusty rod, and all he was focused on was blocking out the outside world that was filled with judgmental people and a cruel reality.

Of course...not _everything _was blocked out.

The Once-ler suddenly hears a clucking, and, when he looks up,there was a pair of black eyes staring back at him. The Once-ler yelped in surprise, and took a huge leap back. He then realized the eyes belong to a chicken, and the two spent a moment just looking at each other.

"Whoa! You alright kid?" a voice asked in a thick, slightly amused, country accent. "You almost jumped outta your skin there!" the Once-ler then looks to see a blond haired man with blue over-all's and wearing a straw hat suddenly beside him. It took a minute for Once-ler to process what happened, but, when he did, he nodded.

"Yeah...I wasn't really paying attention to where I was, and...the chicken came out of no where." the Once-ler explains awkwardly. The farmer laughs, and gives a hearty slap to the Once-ler's back.

"Aw, don't ya worry, Georgia there won't hurt ya." the farmer says. "She's a sweetie. Besides, she's only a chick." The Once-ler blinks, and takes another look at the animal in the coop. Upon further inspection; the young boy then sees that it was, indeed, a small yellow feathered chick that had taken him by surprise. Just above the coop; a sign read that each chick was being sold for a dollar a piece.

The Once-ler the frowns a bit before asking, "...wait..why are you selling these chicks? They just look to be...you know...too young to be separated from their parents..." _and no one should be separated from a loving parent_, the Once-ler adds silently.

"Aw, shoot kid, they ain't to young." the farmer replies in a somehow thicker country accent. "Why, some of 'em are gonna be ready to start laying eggs in a couple of weeks." The man then took a slight pause to look Oncie in the eyes – he was actually pretty short for his age – before speaking again. "Wanna buy one? Y'all look like ya could use somethin' the cheer ya up." This caught the Once-ler off guard. No one had ever had every really took the time to realize his feelings, or, for that matter, made an attempt to make his feel better. He truthfully wanted to smile for the kind farmer, but...he couldn't smile in two years since...the news. Oncie was almost positive he couldn't smiles again even if he tried.

"Nah, I'm alright." Once-ler clarifies; his country accent showing in the process. "Besides, my mama would never allow me to have a pet. Says they cost to much to take care of." It was the truth. In the past, Once-ler casually asked if he could get a dog, but his mother shot him down – saying dogs were to expensive to care for. Even when Once-ler offered to pay for the dog himself; his mom still said no.

"Well...alright then." the farmer says after another moment of short pause. "But if y'all change your mind, just come on back, ya hear?" Again, the Once-ler wanted to give the farmer a smile, but could only nod his head in response.

"'Kay." Once-ler replied. He then shoved his hands in his pockets, and began to walk off.

And that was honestly supposed to be the end of it. The Once-ler would walk away from the farmers booth, continue his dazed walk until an hour had passed, and go on with life as normal.

Fate, on the other hand, had a different plan for him.

Just as the Once-ler was walking past the last few cages of the farmers booth; he couldn't help but over-here a conversation between a young girl and her mother – both looking down on something.

"What's wrong with it mommy?" the little girl asks in a worried tone. This catches the Once-ler's attention, and he can't help but stop and look in the direction of the two.

"I don't know sweetie, but you better not touch it." a women said – taking the hand of her small daughter gentility, and leading her away from whatever she had walked up to. "It might be sick. Besides, the poor things probably the runt of it's litter." the Once-ler couldn't help but raise an eyebrow in confusion at the scene, and looked to what the mother had pulled her child away from.

What he saw what it was, tied to a nearby post with some sturdy rope, he understood why the mother had acted the way she had when her child got to close to it.

It wasn't a very big mule – probably small even by runt standards. The black hair on it's mane was greasy looking, and was covered with what appeared to be dirt. The poor thing was also very thin, and, even though it was laying down, you could clearly count up to six ribs along it's side. Although, the most distinct feature, the Once-ler saw, were it's gray eyes. They were the eyes of something that had been through nothing but rejection, had no idea of what being loved felt like, and...the Once-ler felt an instant connection with that. He then slowly approaches the animal, and kneels down to him. The little mule looked up at him, and those gray eyes were staring at him with that same expression of misery. The Once-ler then slowly raised his arm, and starts to stroke the animals dirty mane.

"Hey there little guy." the Once-ler says, not really knowing the gender of the animal. The mules eyes seemed to flicker with curiosity with a mixture of new-found hope, and this made the Once-ler get so close to smiling. At that moment, the Once-ler also decided that, whatever happened to this little thing...he was now gonna do everything in his power to make sure it was taken care of. "Hey, um, excuse me!" the farmer who had previously talked to Once-ler soon came after the boys call.

"Yeah?" the farmer asked, raising an eyebrow in curiosity.

"Um...hey again. I was wonder...how much your asking for this little guy." the Once-ler explained. The farmer blinked once as if to make sure he had heard him right, and looked at him as if were crazy.

"...uh...I'm sorry, but...did you just ask how much this mule is?" the farmer asked for clarification.

"Yes." the Once-ler simply replies. The man stares at him with the same expression for a minute more before turning to the mule in question. The thing really was puny, and ,the farmer was pretty sure, already had his days to live numbered. Now, the farmer may have been many things, but a swindler wasn't one of them. And he wasn't gonna give the sickly mule to this kid just for a few quick bucks.

"Look...kid, there's plenty of other...um..._healthier _animals here." the farmer pointed out. "Wouldn't you like to at least take a look at some of them?"

The Once-ler looked at the farmer with a bit of a blank stare before slowly shaking his head. "No thank you." he then let out a small sigh, and went back to petting the mules – who was looking at the two with curiosity – currently filthy mane. "I know he may not look like the strongest, or the toughest thing out there, but...even it deserves a chance at living a happy life." the farmer was taken back by this. He had _never _heard someone speak with such caring and sincerity for a creature that was in the mules condition. In fact...he's never heard those two things from one so _young _or..._anyone _if he really thought about it. But, seeing as how the child wasn't going anywhere without the mule, the farmer let out a sigh of his own, and caved in.

"Well...we were just waiting for him to keel-over," the farmer admits with a slight shame in his voice. "But...since you really want him...how about Ten-dollars, and we'll call it even. I'll even throw in a sack of a weeks worth of vegetables for free." at this, the Once-ler nods.

"Sounds fair." the Once-ler then reaches into his shoe, and pulls out a little felt bag he kept his money in. it was close, but he luckily counted ten dollars and hands it to the farmer.

"Alright then, I'll go get your vegetables, and you two can be on your way." the farmer says – still a little uneasy about selling the skinny runt of a mule. "Oh, and, by the way, his names Melvin." and with that, he went to get the free vegetables as he had promised. While he was gone, the Once-ler turned back to the mule, and started to pet his mane once again.

"Well Melvin...looks like your gonna be staying with me for now on." the Once-ler coos slightly. Said animal leans up, and unexpectedly licks the boys pail cheek – as if saying thank you. And then, the young boy did something he thought he'd never do again.

A small smile forms as he continues to pet his new mule, and, possibly, new friend.

~o~o~o~

"And that's how me and Melvin met." the Once-ler concludes. All the animals then smile, and let out a short round of applause. The Once-ler, who had partly forgotten they were there due to reveling in old memories, blushes slightly and bows his head in thanks.

"Beanpole...that was touching and all," the Lorax started – once again hiding the true emotion he felt. "But...there's one thing I don't quit understand."

The Once-ler blinks before asking; "And that would be...?"

"Well, as you told us, if your mother wouldn't let you have a dog...how on earth did she let you keep a mule?" The Lorax asks, getting nods from most of the animals who apparently were wondering the same thing. The lanky man laughs slightly before speaking again.

"There's actually a bit of a story with that too." the Once-ler admits. It was then he notices Pipsqueak curled up and sleeping by his side. He then reaches over, and slowly starts stroking the top of Pipsqueaks soft and fuzzy head before speaking to the group. "So, I officially got Melvin from the farmer, and feed his some of the vegetables I got before anything. Luckily he wasn't a picky eater, and ate three cabbages, two carrots, and a radish before not wanting anymore food. I quickly thanked the farmer, and took off with Melvin by my side. Of course, by that times, it was time to go back to the center of the market. All I can remembering is worrying what mom would say about Melvin...

~o~o~o~

_What is she gonna think? _the Once-ler wonders miserably as Melvin walked at an even pace with him. _Is she gonna make me take him back? But...I can't just take him back...he needs me..._

Then, all to suddenly, the very voice of the person Once-ler had been dreading rang clear.

"There you are Oncie!" Lauren, his mother, said as she saw her son approaching from a bit of a distance. "I was starin' to get mighty-" her sentence was stopped short when her son drew close enough to see the little speck of a mule following him by his side. The rest of his family (Uncle Ubb, Aunt Grizelda, and his brother) also gave him odd looks, and all the Once-ler did stare back at them.

"Hey...guys..." the Once-ler says sheepishly. They all seemed to blink in unison, but his mother was the first one to ask the question they all held.

"Oncie...what is that..._thing _you have there?" Lauren asks with venom leaking in her voice.

The Once-ler gulps slightly, and keels down to pet Melvin's mane before responding; "H-he's a mule...actually. H-his name is Melvin, and..." with a deep breath, and the somehow calming affect of petting Melvin, finishes. "...I...kinda bought him." there seemed to be a hushed gasp of surprise throughout his family members, but his mother just stared at him with disbelief.

"...Oncie..did you just tell me you...purchased this...mule?" Lauren asks, sending a sneer to the filthy creature by her sons feet just to make sure it knew she disliked it. Once-ler gulps slightly, and, without truly thinking about it, scoops up think little Melvin in his arms. After making sure he had a good hold on Melvin, he then rose to his full height to look his mom in the eyes.

"Yes...I did..." the Once-ler admits openly – not even trying to lie about it. "I was thinking we could...keep him in dad's old horses stable..." His mom gave another hard look to the creature in Once-ler's arms before looking at him rather coldly.

"Son...you realize we can't afford to keep this...mule, was it?" his mother pointed out, causing the Once-ler to feel a few tears threaten to fall. But...he was done crying. That decision was made a long time ago, so he just blinked away whatever tears he had and let his mother continue. "Besides, that thing looks like it could die any second! Your better off without it, and there shall be no other exception. This conversation is over." the Once-ler's mom then walks off to consult something with Uncle Ubb, and, when she does, Brett (possibly Chet) walk up to him with a taunting grin.

"Yeah, that things worthless." Brett says softly so only Once-ler could hear it – causing the Once-ler to hold Melvin a little tighter. "Just like you are." while Brett said those last few words, he reached his arm out to poke (or possibly to push over) Once-ler. But, to his and Once-ler's surprise, Brett found his hand being chomped down on by a certain set of mule teeth. "Ouch!" Brett cried – ripping his hand from the tiny mammal's jaw. "That thing bite me!" This, of course, caught the attention of Once-ler's mother and his relatives – causing them to turn and look at the scene.

"Oncie-" was all Lauren was able to speak, because, what the Once-ler did next stunned her to the point of silence. He actually...started to laugh.

"Good boy Melvin!" the Once-ler praised through his laughter.

Brett narrowed his eyes in anger at this. "Hey! Don't laugh at me bein' bite ya little-" Brett's sentence was cut short, because, when he took a step closer to Once-ler, Melvin let out a agitated-sounding _He-ha! _- causing Brett to jump back a bit and get behind his nearby twin (who also looked scared) for protection. Once-ler seemed to laugh even harder at this.

"You tell 'em, Melvin!" the Once-ler says through his laughter. The Once-ler's mother then looks to Ubb for what to say next, but he only shrugs. Lauren then looks back at her still laughing child, and...realizes this is the first time in a long time he's laughed like this. Even though she never showed it much, she did love Oncie, and...it seemed that he was attached to that mule...

"...Oncie." Lauren says – getting The Once-ler's immediate attention. He then stops laughing, and looks at his mother with an expression mixed with guilt and worry.

"...yes...mom?" the Once-ler asks with slight hesitation.

His mother gave him and Melvin one last judgmental look before turning around. She then said something that caught him extremely off guard. "Make sure you have a good hold on that mule. We have a long trip home, and I don't wanna get in an accident because he was running around the RV, and messed with the driver." the Once-ler blinked, as if processing what she had said.

"So...you mean...I can keep him?" the Once-ler asks as he quickly follows in-line behind his mom.

"Well, he'll be your responsibility." Lauren replies rather dryly. "That means you'll have to buy food to feed him, bath him, and cleaning up after him. And he has to stay in the stable at all times! I won't have any wild animals living in the house." despite the tone; the Once-ler's small smile from earlier finds it's way back onto his face.

"Thanks." the Once-ler says in a quiet voice.

His mother either does hear him or ignores his thanks, and continues on. Once-ler's whole family then piles into his Aunts and Uncles RV, (they had actually bought it a couple summers ago, and took his two brother on a trip for the summer) and they set off for home. Once-ler calmly sat in the back with a sleeping Melvin in his lap – listening to his brothers complaining to their mother about Once-ler keeping Melvin. She just responded with telling them that it wasn't any of their business.

Of course, Once-ler wasn't really paying attention to them. He was focused on petting the sleeping mule curled up in his lap, and...in some way...he felt like things were gonna get better for him.

~o~o~o~

"So, I took him home, bathed him in the barn, and put him in the stable. Ever since then, Melvin has been my pet, and my best friend." the Once-ler says, smiling at Melvin – who was now awake, and sitting up. Said mule looked at Once-ler, and seemed to briefly smile before laying his head back down, and dozed back off into a deep slumber.

"Nice story beanpole." the Lorax comments in a tone that is hard to tell if he's teasing or not.

"Thanks mustache." the Once-ler replies in the same sort of bland tone. The Lorax shrugs, and realizes that rain is till hitting the top of the tent at a steady pace. He then decides that the Once-ler telling stories was a pretty source of entertainment, and quickly thinks of another topic to keep him talking.

"So...I see you and Melvin are good friends." the guardian points out. The Once-ler eyes him curiously.

"Yeah...so?"

"Well, I don't mean to be rude, but...don't you have any, you know, _human _friends?" the Lorax asks in a teasing tone. The Once-ler scoffs in offense to the question, and rolls his eyes.

"Of course I do!" the Once-ler counters. "Not _all _my friends are animals!"

"Name one then." the Lorax says with a smug grin.

"Okay, I will! Norma Wiggins." the Once-ler announces. The animals and Lorax all get surprised faces tot he fact he actually gave a name, and the Once-ler soon continues. "She was actually one of the first, and...well...okay, she was the only friend I made during middle school. And, come to think of it, I can remember the first time I met her." the Once-ler then lets out an amused laugh before going on. "It actually hadn't been the first day of school when I first met her. It had actually been when I was taking Melvin on his daily walk during the last few weeks of summer..."

~o~o~o~

"Come on Melvin, time to rise and shine with your walk!" the now fourteen year-old Once-ler calls enthusiastically to his pet mule from outside the barn.

He was now twice as tall as he had been four years ago, and could barely walk in anywhere without ducking his head a bit while going stepping through the door. But, thankfully, he had stopped growing recently, but was still the tallest person around.

Inside the barn, there of the here was a bit of a huff of frustration, but soon, Melvin came slowly trotting out. He was now both fatter and bigger since the Once-ler had taken him in. His once filthy mane was now a striking clean black, and his ribs were no longer visible. Even though everyone had said he was a lost cause and was gonna die any second; Melvin had proven them all wrong by living another four years. The Once-ler smiles at him, and bends down to tie a rope around Melvin's neck so he couldn't run off if he got spooked or something.

"There we go." the Once-ler says as he finishes tying a knot in the rope. He then stands, and gives the rope a gentle tug. "Lets get going Melvin." he then starts to walk off, but is stopped by the rope jerking. He then looks back to find Melvin staring at him with his usual uninterested expression. "Come on Melvin, you need your exercise." the Once-ler says a bit pleadingly. Melvin gave one last huff before walking to the Once-ler. This causes the tall teenager to smile, and the two set off down the dusty path lead to the actual road just a few miles away from the barn.

They then walked their way up to the graveled covered path, and started to walk down it – going the same direction the arrow-sign that read "One Mile This Way To Huntsville" on it.

"Ahh...isn't it an amazing day Melvin?" the Once-ler sighs out – taking in a deep breath of the fresh air. Melvin huffs slightly in response, and the two walk along in silent peace. Soon, they reached the nearby town of Huntsville with it's bricked-lined streets, and the Once-ler quickly set off in the direction of the local park where their morning walks usually lead them to. As the two walked the towns silent streets, the Once-ler took the time to truly appreciate that magical time of day where the sun has not yet risen, but the earth begins to illuminate with light all the same.

You see; the Once-ler would always take walks early in the mornings before anyone was really up and moving because something about the quiet of the dawn calmed his entire being.

"It's gonna be sad when school starts, and we can't take these early morning walks anymore." the Once-ler states casually. "I'm really gonna miss them. How about you Melvin?" He then looks to the mule, and the mammal only gave him a blank expression, and a bit of a huff as a response. "...I'm just taking that as a yes." with that, the rest of the way to the park was walked in silence. Of course, Once-ler didn't mind silence anymore. It was a thing that had grown on him in the past few years.

In mere moments, the Once-ler and Melvin both came to the entrance of the park. But, little did they know, something was about to happen that changes their lives forever.

"Ah! Finally here!" the Once-ler announces in victory with a smile. "We'll do our normal walk through it, and then we can go back home. 'Kay Melvin?" the mule did his signature stare and huff, so the Once-ler took it as a yes. He then ventured into the park, and was quit taken at the natural beauty of his surrounding. The smell of pine in the air, the sound of birds singing high in tree tops, and the morning sun starting to peak through the spaces in between the tree's branches - causing beams of light to shine down like lights leading directly to heaven along the path. "Man...what an all around gorgeous morning!" the Once-ler gushes as he and Melvin continue to progress at an even pace down the road. "The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and everything just seems...well, lighter! You know, the only word I can use to describe this morning is-"

And that, for the first time, is when her saw..._her_.

She – a girl of about his age - looked to be simply minding her business on the park bench. Her brown bangs falling lightly in front of her eyes as she was leaning over slightly to read the book placed in tender care on her lap, and the silver frame glasses she wore were firmly in place at the bridge of her nose. The rest her hair was the same color of brown as her bangs, and spawned out with luxurious, cascading curls. She was wearing a knee-long yellow sun-dress that stood out against her pail skin. She seemed to be of average height for someone her age, possibly a little over-weight, but had this way about her that said she was comfortable in her own skin and didn't care about the judgment of others.

The Once-ler didn't normally notice girls, but...something about her...it just made his heart beat faster, and made his knees feel like they were made of jelly.

"...beautiful." the Once-ler finally finishes. A blush then gets painted across his face, and he continues to stare at the girl. Everything them seems to slow down, but, somehow, he managed to keep walking at a slower pace. All that mattered to the Once-ler at the moment was the girl on the bench. The young teen never expected to be so interested with someone he had just laid eyes on, but...he was with her. She was unlike any other girl he had seen before, and..he just wanted to know more about her. He got so wrapped up in staring at the mysterious girl that only the harsh tugging and loud _he-haw's _from Melvin snapped him out of it. "Huh?" was all the Once-ler was about to say before looking ahead once more just in time to walk right into a nearby tree branch.

This, of course, took him by surprise, and he was knocked to the ground. He laid there in a daze, but before he really knew what happened, a voice was talking to him.

"Hey...are you alright?" a female voice asked through the fog of blackness that was threatening to consume his world. The Once-ler then slowly shook off the shock, and, when everything finally focused from a blurry blob, he discovered the speaker was...that girl from the bench - standing right over him. "Oh thank god your awake! I thought you were really hurt for a moment!"

The Once-ler then blinks, and sits up. He then gets a dark blush before gulping and pulling himself together so he could try to speak and not stutter like an idiot.

"Nah...I-I'm fine." the Once-ler reassures her. " It seems I'm always running into things, so it's not really an issue anymore. In fact, I think my head has actually developed an immunity to pain." after he said this; the Once-ler inwardly cringes. He was always a dork, but...did he _really _have to say something so..._cheesy? _But, what he didn't expect was...the girl actually laughing.

"Don't worry, I know the feeling." she then smiles, and looks to the side of him. "I like your mule, by the way." the Once-ler then gives her a confused look.

"...my...mule?" the Once-ler asks her slowly. She giggles, and points next to him.

"Yeah. Him." she explains. The Once-ler then looks over, and sees Melvin standing there with his bored expression. He then suddenly gets it, and curses himself in his mind for forgetting Melvin was there, and that he was what she was talking about.

"Oh! Him! Of course!" the Once-ler says laughing a bit. "His names Melvin."

The girl smiles, and pets Melvin's nose lightly. "Hey there Melvin." she coos slightly. The Once-ler then gets up, and, when he does, he finds the out-stretched hand of the girl being offered to him. "My names Norma, by the way." the Once-ler then blinks, and then smiles – taking her hand.

"Hey Norma. My name is Once_-ler_." the Once-ler says, his voice going a bit higher on the last three letter. He then blushes, but, once again, Norma laughs and smiles once more.

"Well, it's nice meeting you Once-_ler_." Norma says – imitating how he had said his name. People may have taken offense to this, but...Norma just had this way of speaking so that you knew if she was joking with you or making a joke about you. Luckily, she was joking with him at the time. The Once-ler then smiles a bit stupidly, and the two spend a few minutes with their eyes locked on one another; occasionally looking away shyly for a few brief seconds. The silence stayed before Norma finally spoke up. "So...do you and Melvin come here often?" Norma asked – cutting through the silence.

"Um...y-yeah." the Once-ler says getting a blush for the millionth time that day it seemed. "We a-actually come here...everyday in the mornings."

"Cool." Norma says sincerely. She then looks at the ground shyly before asking; "So...I know this may be sudden, but...would you like to come with me to...get some coffee? We could get to know each other a little more, and we could even get Melvin some fresh vegetables to eat while we talk." the Once-ler's heart almost stopped at this. Norma, the girl who intrigued him moments ago, was asking him to have coffee with her! He desperately wanted to say yes, but...out of no where...a crippling shyness over-comes him, and whatever cool demeanor he had was lost. The tall teen then looks away, and starts to lightly bite his bottom lip.

"Norma...I would _love _to get coffee with you, but...I...have to get home right away and do chores!" he says quickly so as to try and avoid stuttering. He then grabs the rope Melvin was connected to, and began to quickly dragged him along on the path back to the entrance.

"Oh..alright...so...I'll see you tomorrow then?" he heard Norma's sweet, bell like voice calls out. He then briefly stops, and turns around.

"S-sure!" the Once-ler calls back. "I'll try my best to be here!" with that, he turns back around, and continues to walk out of the park – with a much slower pace this time. But, with every step he took, the guilt of what he had just done weighted upon him. He actually turned down a _girls _offer to have coffee with her! His cursed himself for being so cowardly, and promised himself that the next time him and Norma met...he wouldn't chicken out like he just had.

The two soon were back at the parks entrance, and, before setting off back home, the Once-ler looks back at the park for a moment...wondering when him and Norma would meet again.

~o~o~o~

"So, we went back to the house, I put Melvin back in the stable, and that was the end of it." the Once-ler says in a dramatic story teller voice for effect. Of course, the animals weren't looking at him with curiosity. They were looking at him with an expression that were...teasing in a way. "What...!"

"Oh, nothing." the Lorax teases in a sing-song voice. "It's just funny to hear how you humans fall in love with one another." the Once-ler's eyes then widen, and he gets a blush.

"Well...we weren't _exactly _in love with each other yet." the Once-ler admits awkwardly.

The Lorax smirks before saying; "Sure, then what do you call what you felt for that Norma girl?" the Once-ler then blushes a bit deeper, and groans a bit.

"That...would be classified as a crush." the Once-ler explains. "Crushes are these things where someone likes another person but the one their crushing on either doesn't know they are their being crushed on, they also have a crush on the original person as well but both of them don't know you like each other, or..they just don't like the other person back." the Lorax was now officially interested in this human thing the Once-ler was describing as a crush.

"So...did she ever find out you had a crush on her...?" the Lorax asks with his voice filled full of tease. The Once-ler rolls his eyes slightly before answering the Lorax.

"Of course she didn't." the Once-ler answers. "Well...not right away, that is." the lanky man gets a slight blush at the found memory, and continues. "After our meeting in the park, I made it a mission to try and make it to the park every morning at the same to try and meet Norma again. I was, of course devastated, but, to keep my mind off it, I decided to follow in my fathers footsteps and invent something. This..._something _was gonna be the thing everyone needed! But, unfortunately, school started for another semester, and I sorta had to put the invention planning on hold. And, let me tell you,

it was torture for me. Kids were constantly teasing me because of my height, calling my names, and...you know, things like that. Although, I somehow managed to endure it, and the turning point finally came two weeks in on the day we had to pick after school activities..."

~o~o~o~

_Which club do I choose?_ The Once-ler wonders miserably as he walks down the noisy hallway.

All around; kids from the sixth grade class were gathered around booths advertising certain clubs – talking about how much fun their club was gonna be. Once-ler envied them. He didn't really have any friends he could join a club with, and everything else just...didn't appeal to him.

_Come on! _The Once-ler growls at himself inside his mind. _This is your only period to join a club, and it's already half-way over! Just pick something already! _Of course...he couldn't bring himself to do that. Because, he knew if he was gonna be in a club, he was gonna have to pick something that interested him. Granted, there were one or two clubs he actually wanted to join, but it was either full or he would be glared out by the already there members – saying loud and clear that they didn't want him coming in and messing up their club without words. He walked away from those the same way; feeling slightly hurt, and wishing they'd at least give him a chance to to show them the real him...

"HEY!" a voice suddenly shrieked out. The Once-ler was instantly pulled out of his daze, and came to realize he had bumped into a girl with a red blouse, a knee-high pink skirt, and had blond hair that was tied in a neat pony tail with the help of a red bow. "Watch were you going!" she snapped. The Once-ler gulps slightly, and tries his best to show he isn't as intimated by this girl as he really was.

"Sorry..." the Once-ler says in arguably the worlds smallest voice. He then tries to walk past the girl, but, thanks to some random jerk with his foot purposely stuck out, he wound up almost tripping, and instinctively holding out his arms to lessen the fall. Of course, he had ended up falling on top of the girl he bumped into – unintentionally pinning her down in the process. The hallways were flooded with howling laughter, and the Once-ler's cheeks reddened.

"Get off me this instant! I havea _boyfriend_ you pervert!" the girl snapped more viciously than the first time. The laughter only seemed to increase, and the Once-ler's blush darkened.

"I...I'm really sorry!" the Once-ler stutters out – promptly scrambling to get off the girl. "I-it was a total accident I-I swear!" inside the Once-ler's head; he was cursing his height as he usually did in these kind of situations. It was bad enough he was taller than everyone else, but...he was also really clumsy. So, it was basically like taking a giraffe and putting it on stilts to film how awkward he walked on them.

"Ohhh, he's in trouble!" a random voice from the crowd stops as the Once-ler's instinctively tries to help the girl off the ground – only to have her hiss at him that she didn't need him touching her.

"Yeah! That's Johnny's girl!" someone else chimes in.

"When he hear about what just happened; he's gonna blow his stack _so _hard!" another voice seems to keep adding. The Once-ler then inwardly cringes at the name. Johnny was the sixth grades toughest bully that always had his brown hair slicked back with hair grease and wore a black leather jacket just to show he meant business. And, trust Once-ler, he could carry out the threats he made.

"Hey, what's going on here?" a voice screams above the rest.

_Speak of the devil. _The Once-ler says a bit ironically in his mind. He then hopes with all his being that he's wrong, and that the person yelling wasn't who he thought it was, but...of course, he was right. Some kids in the crowd separate, and, stepping into the center of the now murmuring crowd, was the leather jacket-wearing, hair slicked back teen himself.

Johnny Cinder.

"Valery?" Johnny says a bit in shock. Johnny then looked at the Once-ler, who was currently leaning over the girl, and his eyes blazed with pure hatred. "This _better _be not what I think it is bird legs! Or else your gonna pay!" Once-ler then freeze out of fear. He tries his best to open his mouth to explain everything, but, before he could, the girl was up and clinging to Johnny's arm.

"Oh Johnny!" Valery says in (faked, most likely, just to get Once-ler in more trouble) terror – sounding on the verge of tears. "Thank _goodness _your here! This freak bumped into me, and, when I said I was sorry, he knocked me to the ground!"

"What?" Johnny exclaims in a mixture of rage and disbelief. He then turns back to the Once-ler with even more rage in his already furious eyes. "Oh, your _so _gonna get it now!" Johnny then stepped toward the Once-ler, who knew he should be running but knew the side-line kids would block his escape. Johnny then reached up, grabbed the Once-ler's shirt collar, and pulled him down to eye level with him. (it was kind of an ironic sight, because Johnny was a good few inches taller than Once-ler, yet he was still the intimidating one) "Any last words?" Johnny then reared back his fist, and this somehow gave the Once-ler the courage to speak.

"Wait! P-please!" the Once-ler begs a little pathetically. "I-it was all a misunderstanding! You have to believe me! I'd never do anything to hurt your girl! I swear!" this did get Johnny to pause for a moment, but didn't stop him completely.

"Say goodnight, bird legs!" Johnny says; throwing his fist toward Once-ler. The tall then gave up on reasoning with the bully, and closed his eyes for the blow to come.

He just wanted it to come, and be over with...

"Stop!" a female voice blurts out. "Don't punch him!" Despite the hold on his beating, the Once-ler still keeps his eyes shut as tight as he can.

"Whoa, who _dares _interrupt me beating up this-" the Once-ler then envisioned Johnny turning around to glare at the brave (and now doomed) soul who spoke up, but, what he couldn't see was...the gasp of surprise Johnny let out. "Wait...hold on..._Norma_?"

_Wait, who? _Once-ler thinks; his eyes flinging right open. And, to his greatest shock...there was Norma! Standing just a few inches away from where Johnny had a hold on his shirt collar.

She was wearing a knee-length lime-green dress that had a lace pattern around the collar, and a red bow tied neatly around her waist. Her hair was still had all of it's luxurious curls, and her glasses were still placed firmly at the bridge of her nose. The Once-ler got a faint blush at seeing her again, and...he felt embarrassed this of all times would be when they'd meet again.

"Norman, you know this guy?" Johnny asked – using the hand that was previously balled into a fist to point at the Once-ler. Norma shook her head slightly before explaining.

"Yeah...I know him." she verifies. "And, take it from me Jon, if he says it was an accident, it was an accident." Johnny then turns to glare at the Once-ler once more, and, after a moment, slowly lets go of his poor shirt collar he has a death-grip on.

"Fine, but only because Norma says your telling the truth." Johnny tells the Once-ler – still keeping his glare. "But if you _ever _do _anything _like this; your hide is mine! Are we clear?"

"C-crystal." the Once-ler says stuttering a bit. Johnny then walks over to Valery, puts one hand around her and the other in his pocket. The two then walk down the hall, and, seeing as how the Once-ler wasn't going to get mauled by the hands of Johnny, the crowd of kids broke off into different directions – going back to happily chatting about clubs and such. The Once-ler, however, stands there in a bit of a disbelieving daze, but it was broken when Norma casually walked up to him.

"So, do you always go messing with the toughest kid in school, or was today a special occasion?" Norma asks a bit teasingly. Once-ler then blinks, and finally processes what had just happened.

"Norma...how did you stop Johnny like that?" The Once-ler asks in slightly awe.

"Ah, it was nothing." Norma said proudly. "And we're actually pretty good friends. Me and Johnny are neighbors from childhood, and our moms always seemed to get together for something when we were little, so we always seemed hang out to waste the time. He's actually is a pretty alright guy away from school, and his so called friends." the Once-ler then tries to image Johnny actually being nice, but fails to do so. None the less, he shows how grateful how is to Norma by pulling her into a huge bear hug.

"Well, no matter how you did it, thank you!" Once-ler says as he squeezes Norma a little tighter. "You really saved my skin back there! How can I ever repay you?"

"How about...letting me get some air...?" Norma gasps out – struggling to breath against the hug. The Once-ler then blushes at the realization at what he was doing, and promptly puts Norma down.

"Hehe...sorry." the Once-ler apologizes – feeling downright embarrassed. He then quickly change the subject. "So, how was your summer? I kept trying to meet you in park again, but...I just always seemed to miss you. Also, I never knew you went to school here! Why didn't you tell me?"

Norma giggles slightly before answering; "I always seemed to miss you as well, and I would've but you never asked." She then smiles sweetly, and the Once-ler's face becomes red for about the fifteenth time that day. Partly from slight embarrassment, and partly because...he thought Norma had a beautiful smile. "Oh, speaking of school...have you joined a club yet?" The Once-ler is taken a bit off-guard by the question, but sighs sadly, and shakes his head no.

"I haven't actually." the Once-ler admits with a defeated. "Have you?"

"Sadly, yeah." Norma sighs in a defeated manner. "But I didn't actually get to pick it! You see, my mom doesn't think I act enough like a lady, even though I wear these stupid dresses for her! So, she pulled some strings, and this morning she just announced to me that I would be in the sewing club instead of an actually fun club that I wanna be in."

"That stinks." the Once-ler says sympathetically.

"Tell me about it!" Norma groans in frustration – throwing her hands up in the air. She then sighs once more, and lets her arms drop to her sides. "I tried to argue, but she said sewing would come in handy for later and that it'll be so much fun to learn. But probably the worst part of the whole thing is that I won't know anyone there! Plus there's only like...six of us in the club anyway, so it'll be even more boring." she then sighs again, and the Once-ler can't help but feel bad for her. He hated she couldn't pick something she actually wanted to do, but...there really was no way of him helping her out of it. Although...there was something he could do...

"Well...what if I just join the sewing club with you?" the Once-ler casually suggests. "That way you'd know someone there, and maybe you won't be totally bored out of your mind." Norma chuckled at his joke, and then beams with pure happiness.

"You'd really do that for me?" Norma asks hopefully.

The Once-ler then nonchalantly shrugs, and responds; "Sure. I mean, it's only sewing. How boring could it really be?" Norma smiles seems to grow even more, and, suddenly, she had her arms wrapped around the Once-ler's skinny waist in a tight hug.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Norma squeals happily. "Your an awesome friend, Once-ler!" the Once-ler then gasps slightly. Did she just say they were...friends? A goofy smile then came across the Once-ler's face, and Norma releases him. She then intertwines her small had in his bigger hand, and smiles up at the Once-ler. "Come on, the sign up booth for the sewing club is this way."

"O...okay." the Once-ler says a bit dreamily. Norma then starts to pull Once-ler through the hall, and passed several club booths. She then lead them to one of the last two booths, and the person running it showed him the sign-up sheet – having a visible smirk as he did so. The Once-ler couldn't deny the weird looks surrounding students gave him as he willingly signed up for sewing club, but...was able to block him out. He knew he was doing it for his friend, and just knowing they were gonna be there was sure to make it much less boring that it was inevitably gonna be.

Besides, he couldn't wait to go home and tell Melvin that he made a new friend, _and _that it was with an actual girl!


	3. Story 3 ThNeeding Insparation

"So...you join sewing club because this Norma person was in it?" the Lorax asked slightly confused.

"Yes, and, once again, I say there is _nothing _unmanly about sewing, knitting, or things of those kind!" the Once-ler says in an agitated tone. "Besides, I was doing for a friend, so it doesn't really count."

Then, without any warning, a huge crack of thunder erupted through the valley. Heavy falling rain followed it, and the animals started to momentarily freak out again. But, after a few words from the Lorax, they seemed to calm down. A few moments were then spent silently listening to the rain harshly hitting the roof, but, then, the Lorax speaks up.

"Uh, hey Beanpole, mind telling a few more stories?" the Lorax asks sounding a bit embarrassed. "The rain doesn't seem like it's gonna leave anytime soon, and...we're all kind of interested in hearing stories from your past. So...how about it?"

The Once-ler then blinks in confusion before answering; "Sure. Anything you wanna know?"

"Hm..." The Lorax then takes a second to think, but then replies. "Actually, there is something I've always wondered. How did you get the idea for the Thneed anyway?" The Once-ler's cheeks then turn a shade of red, and he chuckles a bit nervously.

"Well, to be honest, the Thneed was only partly my idea." the Once-ler confessed. The animals then all seem to get confused expressions, so the Once-ler continues. "My original Thneed was actually given to me by Norma. Of course...it wasn't exactly what I would call a Thneed. It was actually supposed to be something entirely different, but, somehow, it wound as my prototype..."

~o~o~o~

"_How _could you have gotten an A on the assignment?!" Norma asks in total shock as the two walk with trays in hand to their usual table for lunch.

You see, it had been only a month since the run-in with Johnny, but Norma and Once-ler had already bonded a tight friendship. In fact, one would rarely be without the others company, and, even if they weren't together, the two were never far from each other. Of course, they were still had a lot of differences form one another, and this just happened to be one of them.

"I mean...you just randomly joined the club, but you _still _rock at it! I didn't even come close to a C, and I've sewed with my grandma tons of times..."

The Once-ler couldn't help but chuckle slightly at her agitation, and shrugs. "I really don't know how I pulled it off. I honestly have never sewed before, and...I'm probably making it worse for you, aren't I?"

"Pretty much." Norma says in a tone that's heard to tell if she's serious. The Once-ler sends her an apologetic look, and she gives him a look that basically says "Got ya" right back to him. The Once-ler then smiles in relief, and the two continue over to their regular lunch table. They finally get to their table, (a four person booth almost hidden in the back of lunch room) and file in on separate sides so they'd be looking at each other. Instantly, Once-ler began eating his food, but Norma just idly poked at her peas with an almost depressed expression.

"Hey...everything okay?" Once-ler asks once he notices Norma's expression. Norma was quiet for a moment, but then sighs, and looks at the boy across from her with the same sad expression.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Norma says in a sigh. "It's just...my mom is going to _kill _me when she find out about my poor grade on this assignment. And she'll read me the riot act about how I could have done better, and how I won't get into a good college if I keep up this poor work ethic, that I need to take school more seriously, etc." the Once-ler then gives her a sympathetic expression.

"Aw, come on now...it couldn't have been _that _bad." Norma then gives him an expression that screams it was. She then reaches into her pocket, and takes out a wadded up ball of yarn – tossing it onto the table. "Oh...is, um...is this-"

"My finished product?" Norma finishes his sentence. "Yep."

"Ah." I say slowly. I then look back down at the..._thing _Norma had placed on the table, and slowly reach out to grab it. "Ooooooh, come on Norm's. I mean, I've certainly seen worse...um..." I then hold up the thing of pink colored yarn, but...couldn't exactly figure out what it was. It seem to be a mesh-up of all sorts of different sorts of yarn-based things. The length suggested it may be a scarf, randomly jutting-out pieces on it lead one to believe it may be a coat of some kind, and random holes in it told that it could possibly be some weird sweater. "Worse...ummmm...what...exactly is this...?"

Norma groans, and rolls her eyes in frustration. "It was supposed to be a dust cover for a stool, okay." the Once-ler's jaw dropped slightly. He certainly wouldn't have guessed _that_.

"OH!" the Once-ler gasps – trying to keep the shock out of his voice, but fails. Norma rolls and gives a heavy sigh before crossing her arms and turning her gaze to the floor. The Once-ler couldn't help but feel bad for making his friend feel like this, and decided...he needed to cheer her up again. Suddenly, an idea came to him, and a smile comes across his face. "Hey, um, Norma, if you want, I could possibly...take your project with me, and if your parents ask if you had a bad grade, you could just say it's because it got lost somewhere." Norma then looks to her tall friend, and her sad look turns to a hopeful one. Soon, a wide smile appeared on her face.

"That's actually not a bad idea." Norma says with her new bright and cheery smile displayed proudly on her face. "You'd really do that for me?"

"Sure." the Once-ler replies with a small shrug. "What are friends for?"

Norma's smile seems to grow wider, and she suddenly springs across the booth – lathing onto Once-ler in a tight hug. "Thanks, like, a million Once! I owe ya!" the Once-ler's cheeks tinted a red color at the hug, but he smiles and hugs his friend back. After a moment, Norma detaches herself from her friends skinny frame, and tosses Once-ler her project. "Here you go. Knock yourself out." with this, Norma then settled back into her seat, and begins to eat the food on her tray.

"Hehe...thanks." Once-ler says a bit awkwardly. Suddenly, the Once-ler sees that the "Dust Cover" was at a different angle, and...it sorta looked like...

"Sowethwiwg wong?" Norma asks with a mouthful of peas.

The Once-ler then scrambles to get something out of his pocket, and, when he did, it was revealed to be a small-sized sketch book. "Could this be it?" the Once-ler asks himself as he quickly flips through the pages. He then finally stops at a bookmarked page, (why he didn't just turn to that one, Norma will never know) and, out of the blue, gets a huge smile. "It's exactly what I need!"

"For what?" Norma speaks up – finally swallowing her peas.

"For my invention!" the Once-ler clarifies with his already Cheshire-like smile getting impossibly wider. "It's gonna be something that...um, it's gonna be a this...okaaaay, so I may not have _all _the details on it yet, but I sketched out what I thought my invention was going to look like, and this fits it!" Norma blinks in surprise, but then smiles and shrugs her shoulders slightly.

"Sounds cool." Norma says cheerfully. The Once-ler then practically starts shaking in joy, and nods.

"Your darned right it's gonna be!" The Once-ler shouts. Norma can't help but chuckle at her friends enthusiasm, and goes back to quietly eating her food.

The Once-ler then turns his attention back to the small sketchbook in front of him, and starts to scribble down notes and possible design changes for his upcoming creation. As he's doing so, without him really knowing it, Norma was looking at him. She couldn't stop herself from thinking that...the way his bangs fell in front of his face made him look...cute. The curly haired teenager quickly shakes the thoughts from her head, and goes back to eating. Her and Once-ler are merely friends, everyone knows it, but...maybe...deep inside...she wanted to be more with him.

Of course, what she didn't know was that, secretly...Once-ler was feeling the same way.

~o~o~o~

"And that's how I got my Thneed." the Once-ler concludes.

All the animals seemed to still be giving all their attention to the lanky man, and he was honestly surprised they still were interested after this long.

"So...you basically took a thing someone else already made instead of making your own?" The Lorax asks – raising one eyebrow.

The Once-ler then rolls his eyes. "No. I mean, sure, I took the thing she made, but I didn't steal it. She gave it to me so she wouldn't get in trouble at home. Besides, I had to work with what I had. I couldn't afford to buy that many materials, you know?"

"Sure." The Lorax says with sarcasm practically dripping form his voice. "Now, could you get back to the story? Another wave of thunder is coming, and the animals are already fidgeting."

"Right." the Once-ler sighs slightly. He then perks up slightly, and continues where he left off. "So, for the next week, I worked non-stop on developing my Thneed. Now, remember, I had no name for it yet, no final design, and was basically just winging my way though it." he then gives a bit of a laugh, and clears his throat before continuing. "Anyway, it was about two weeks in on development, and I had almost gotten my invention just right. However, I still needed to come up with the most important thing of a invention...the name and a catchy jingle."

~o~o~o~

It seemed like a regular type of Saturday afternoon.

The sun was out, birds were singing, and all the kids usually trapped within school walls at this time were taking advantage of their freedom.

The duo of Once-ler and Norma were no exception.

The two were hanging out in the barn as they usually did when Norma came over to Once-ler's house; mostly because he was to afraid of his mother ticking off Norma by criticizing as she usually did with his friends. Norma was leaning over Melvin's stable – idly stroking the now almost full grown mule's ear, and Once-ler was sitting on a nearby hay stack working on his new invention. He had actually sewed most of the holes up, and even re-sewed some of the parts that were coming loose. Everything seemed to be quiet and peaceful until Norma spoke up.

"Hey...Once, if you don't mind me asking...why do you wanna make this invention of your so badly?" Norma's voice timidly spoke up. The Once-ler stopped sewing, and stared blankly at the needles.

Of course, he knew the real reason he was doing this was to somehow keep apart of his father alive through him, but...he decided Norma didn't need to know that. "I just...wanna make my mark on history, you know?" Once-ler responds, looking to Norma with a smile. "I guess that...when I pass on...I want to be remembered for more that just that one tall kid."

"I can understand that." Norma says laughing slightly. She then glances down at the material in his hands, and looks back up at him. "So...is it finished yet?"

"Not yet, but it's close." Once-ler responds, his smile growing a bit wider.

"Great. When you finish it; I wanna be the first one to buy it." Norma tells him; causing a blush to come across the Once-ler's cheeks. A goofy smile then works it's way on his lips, but, luckily, Norma just thought it was an ordinary smile. "So, have you decided what to call your invention?" the smile the Once-ler had disappears, and he lets out a frustrated sigh.

"No...I've tried, but I can't think of anything that could be an interesting name _and _have a catchy slogan. I guess my brain isn't smart enough to come up with something like that..." Norma then gives him a sympathetic smile, and walks over to pat the tall teen's shoulder.

"Hey, don't beat yourself up." she tells Once-ler warmly. "The name will come to you eventually. Until then, just keep perfecting your invention, and, by the time you have a name, you'll be well and ready to sell it." at this, Once-ler actually regains some of his previous smile. He still felt pressured, but...Norma's words has somehow lightened the metaphorical load on his mind. The curly haired teen then briefly smiles back at him, but then gets a shocked look as if she just remembered something. "Oh _crap_! I have a paper due in U.S History Monday, and I haven't even put my name on the paper yet!" Norma then gives a frustrated groan, and starts harshly face-palming herself. "Ugh! How could I forget a paper worth half my grade?! This is..just...ugh! Thneed!"

The last words in Norma's sentence suddenly made the Once-ler freeze. "Um...wait...did you just say...Thneed?" the Once-ler asked slowly – making sure he heard her right.

"Um...yeah." Norma replies, sounding embarrassed all of a sudden. "Thneed is sorta my replacement for almost any cuss word. Hehe...sorry if it sounded...well, you know, stupid."

"Stupid?" the Once-ler asks in a bit of shock. "No...no, I isn't stupid. In fact...that would actually make a good name for my product! And, the company's slogan could be: "Thneeds. The thing that everyone needs."! It works out perfectly!" the lanky teen suddenly reaches out, and grabs Norma in a tight hug. "Thank you sooo much for the name, Norma! I owe you!"

"Hehe, anytime." Norma says with a smile – even though she was slightly confused about what had just happened. The Once-ler soon lets her go, and she headed toward the exit. "Sorry to bolt so fast, but I need to get home and do that paper. Hopefully I can fake my way into a B-."

"It's alright." the Once-ler assures her smiling. "I gotta work on perfecting my new Thneed anyway. Good luck on that paper, and thanks again for your help." Norma got a slight blush, but, thankfully, she was just out of range for Once-ler to notice it. She then nods, basically wishing him all the same, and leaves. The Once-ler then goes back to sewing, but...suddenly, it just feels different than before. Of course, this doesn't stop him, although...a question instantly haunts his mind.

Should he have...asked Norma to stay with him?

~o~o~o~

"So, from then on out, the designing process for my Thneed ran smoothly." Once-ler explains; surprisingly without any interruptions. "I spent two weeks completing my final design, and, at last, all my hard work had paid off! For I had built the worlds first Thneed, and, believe me, I was floating on air! It seemed like nothing was gonna bring me down." Once-ler's happy-go-lucky smile then slowly fades into a frown; something that seemed to be growing more common when remembering his past. "But...of course...something did..."

"What was it?" The Lorax asked out of curiosity.

The Once-ler then sighs, and his frowns twists into that of anger. "Oh, I'll tell you what it was! Or better yet _who _it was! The same people who always got a kick out of bullying me! The same people who seemed to make it their mission to see me miserable! The very same people who I'm forced to call _brothers_!" Once-ler's outburst makes all the animals get surprised looks. None of them have ever really seen him get angry before, so...this was a first.

"Well...what exactly did they do?" comes the Lorax's slightly scared follow-up question.

"What they always do!" the Once-ler answers in a grumble. "Break whatever I seemed to care for the most! In fact, my Thneed hadn't even gone an _hour _before they wrecked it!"

~o~o~o~

"I did it!" Once-ler exclaims – hopping up from the hay stack he'd been sitting on.

It had taken him two whole weeks of working on it, but...he had finally finished it. Sure, it had taken a _lot _of blood, (he accidentally jabbed his finger with a needle he was sewing with a few time) sweat, and tears but...it was worth it. That's right; Once-ler had at last completed his Thneed!

"Oh man, this is so awesome!" Once-ler exclaimed in pure excitement. "It's finally done! My invention is now finished! Norma's gonna wig out when I tell her!" the Once-ler then giggles in glee – barely being able to contain his pure joy. He then raced into the house, and went straight to the telephone. In his hurry he thought he heard his family talking to him, but he blocked them out. The lanky teens head was to high in the clouds, and he wasn't gonna let his family bring him down.

Once he gets to the phone, he quickly dials Norma's number, and, after a few rings, the curly haired girl herself picked up. "Hello?"

"Hey Norma!" Once-ler exclaimed.

"Ah, it's you Once." Norma said with a slightly teasing giggle. "So, what's up?"

"Nothing much...just finished the _best _invention in the history of _man _is all!" Once-ler says; joy developing in his voice with every word. Norma then giggle on the other line.

"I'm really happy for you, buddy."

"Thanks!" Once-ler then took a pause, but then gets a huge smile mixed with a slight blush on his cheeks. "Um...I was thinking, if you wanted to, you could come over to see it. Possibly, like, now?" Norma then seems to giggle a bit more, but then sadly sighs.

"Believe me, I'd love to, but my Grandparents are visiting for the weekend. Basically; I'm on lock-down for two whole days. But I'd love to see it on Monday."

Once-ler's smile then fades, and then sighs understandingly. "Okay. Sorry about being on lock-down."

"Ah, don't worry about it." Norma says with a slight giggle. "I'll just see it Monday. Oh...hold on..." there was a secondary pause, but then Norma comes back on the line with a sigh. "Hey, look, I gotta go. My family is gonna sit down and play a rousing game of checkers. Oh, the joy." the last words out f Norma's mouth were practically dripping with sarcasm. They both exchanged one last goodbye before hanging up the phone almost at the same time.

"Guess I need to occupy myself until Monday." the Once-ler says more to himself. He was about to go to his room to get some much needed sleep, but then...

"Who was that nerd; your _girlfriend_?" Once-ler's older brother Chet asks teasingly from behind Oncie.

Once-ler jumps a bit, but he quickly rolls his eyes in an annoyed manner when he realized it was only Chet. "First of all, it doesn't matter who I was talking to, and second, why do you even care?" Once-ler's words seemed to catch Chet off guard, (Once-ler was a whole level of intelligence up from him after all) and he was going to slip off. But, suddenly, the Thneed gripped in his hand was yanked out.

"Oh _what _is this?!" Bret asks sounding like he just heard the world funniest joke. "Once, I knew you were a homo, but now you're makin' _pink _scarfs?!"

"S-Shut up, and give me that back Bret!" Once-ler hisses slightly; getting a dark blush.

Once-ler then makes a grab for the Thneed in his brothers hands, but, thanks to playing sports, Bret had much faster reflexes than him. He then tosses it to an open Chet on the other side of the hall, and, with their combined efforts, have a good three minute game of keep-away.

"Come on, we gotta show this one to mom!" Chet shouted to his twin.

"N-no!" Once-ler exclaimed in pure terror.

He never really planned to show his mom his invention until when (and if, for that matter) it became famous. Plus...she had never really approved of him knitting, and he was just...tired of disappointing her. He makes a made dash to catch his brothers, but trips over his feet – landing face first. He was only thrown off for a moment, but then shook it off and ran after his brothers.

Unfortunately...when he caught up to them...they were already showing his mom his invention.

"Mama! Look what Once made!" Bret says with a laugh. Lauren then takes the piece of pink fabric from Bret, and eyes it judgmentally. Once-ler inwardly cringes, and tries to slowly tip-toe off to his room to hide. But, like everything in the last few minutes, it didn't wok out for him.

"Oncie, come on in here." Lauren said in an almost sweet tone.

A shiver goes down Once-ler's back. He had learned at a young age that, when his mom used a sweet tone...your self-esteem was about to take a heavy blow. He stayed frozen in place, but, soon, found the courage to at least go into the doorway.

"Y-yeah mom?" Once-ler tries to say as innocently as he can.

"Oncie," his mother began – totally ignoring his innocent greeting. "Did you make this...thing here in my hands?" Lauren then holds up the Thneed, and Once-ler gulps – avoiding his mothers gaze.

"Yes...I did." Once-ler replies softly. He then slowly looks up to see his moms expression.

It wasn't good.

Her eyes screamed she was embarrassed by him without words, and she was shaking her head in disbelief. "Oncie...I don't think I've ever been as disappointed in you as I am now."

You could practically hear the lanky teen's heart break from there to China.

"...w-what...?" Oncie manages to ask.

"I thought you were going to be different than him, Oncie." his mother sighed; ignoring his question completely. "But, I guess you have to much of your father in you for your personality to be any different. He always had his head high up in the clouds; inviting failed after failed invention. And, in the end, that's what took his life. Ignorance coupled with false childish hope. Now, please promise me you'll stop all this silly inventing, and focus on something that actually matters." as Lauren spoke; Oncie's hand balled into fists at his sides.

Never before in his life had he wanted to tell his mother off so badly. She was making his father sound like a complete moron, and he was letting her! But...Once knew he would never have the back-bone to stand up to his mother...he just couldn't...

"I...I promise mom." Once-ler says quietly in defeat – feeling like a total wimp.

"Good." Lauren says ; beaming in victory. "Now, go upstairs and study one of your subjects. Oh, and go put this...whatever it is far away from sight" she then tosses the Thneed back to her son, and Once-ler nods. He then slinks out of the room and up to the attic – not even trying to think about Bret and Chet's taunting looks as he went.

Once he get to his room; Once-ler locked the door, and slumped over to his desk hidden away in the corner of the room. He then plops down in the chair with a heavy sigh, and stares at the Thneed.

_Maybe...maybe she's right. _Once-ler thinks as he continues to stare blankly at his pink invention. _This...thing is probably destined to fail anyway. Why was I kidding myself into believing I could actually make something useful...?_ Once-ler then sighs again, and, from the corner of his eye, sees something shimmering. He then looks fully toward it, and sees...a pair of scissors laying on the other side of the desk. Once-ler then subconsciously grabs them, and looks at the two items in his hands.

To his Thneed, and to the scissors. To the scissors to the Thneed.

After a moment, the lanky teen's eye brows suddenly furrow in anger. A burst of rage seems to take Once-ler, and, before he knew what had happened, he was surrounded by billions of pink shreds of what appeared to be yarn. The scissors were still in his hand, but his Thneed wasn't.

It took a minute, but, when everything finally caught up with Once-ler, his eyes widen and he instantly drops the scissors to the floor.

"Oh...oh god..." the Once-ler gasps slightly. He then scoops up a hand-full of the pink threat, and watched helplessly as they fall through the spaces of his fingers to the desk once more. "What...what have I done?! All that time...that effort...it's all for nothing..." suddenly, the Once-ler felt very shaky.

A part of him was glad to be rid of that dumb invention, but...another was...ashamed of himself.

Once-ler then slowly stands up from the chair, and shuffles through the pink mess to his nearby bed. He then crawls onto it, and settles into the mattress. His thoughts then suddenly turn to his father, and...how he probably would have wanted him to continue inventing things. His eyes then slowly shut – slowly drifting off into slumber.

_But, I guess you have to much of your father in you for your personality to be any different. _His mothers words suddenly ring through his mind as he falls asleep.

But...hadn't that been what he always wanted?

~o~o~o~

"And...that's what basically happened." Once-ler concludes.

The room of animals (and Lorax) was silent. They were all surprised to hear that the Once-ler had such a bad string of luck in his childhood.

"Well Beanpole...I...I never expected you to have such a rough childhood." The Lorax admits; actually feeling a big bad for the lanky man. "I mean...you always seem so cheerful, and...I would have never guessed the stories you've been telling us happened to you." The Lorax then seemed to pause a bit in hesitation, but then sighs. "So...how do you do it?"

"Do...what?" Once-ler asked in genuine confusion.

"How are you always so...cheerful?" The Lorax finally spits out. "I mean, I may not be an expert on humans, but...anyone else who went what you went through would be a walking mess. But you...you seem perfectly happy. I just...wanna know how your able to do it." The Lorax half expected Once-ler to be offended by his question, but...he surprisingly smiled.

"Well...I guess it was because...someone was always there for me." the lanky man explains.

The Lorax raises an eyebrow. "Who?" The Once-ler then flashes a smile at the orange-furred forest guardian, and the Lorax instantly knew the name before it came out of his mouth.

"Norma."


End file.
